Safe
by Kagome-reincarnation
Summary: I own neither Teen Titans or Inuyasha. Kagome's escaped to earth from her captors in Tamoran, but now she's got to deal with attempts to recapture here and a possibly budding romance. Chapter 15: "Inuyasha" posted.
1. Beginning

**Author's Note:** _This was edited and posted on July 30, 2009. Changes include rewrites and sections with completely new events, including the temporary presence of a baby girl. Word Count: 3009  
_

* * *

_Tamaran; in an underground facility, there is a great amount of chaos as the many workers hustle about._

"Watch the door!"

"Call for reinforcements!"

"Someone get the masters!"

"Damn – where's our back up?"

And with a loud crash, the armored door they'd been guarding fell open, and the girl, raven-haired and athletic slim, escaped. Unfortunately, however, she wasn't someone they were willing to release so easily. There was a great variety of shouts that day, and quite a few explosions. Most notable, though, would be the terror that occurred once the subject had rid herself of the outer encasing of her shackles, destroying the limiting device that contained her bolts of power. At that point, she'd simply blasted her way through to the exit, no longer bothering with martial arts.

* * *

_Earth; in a city now protected by a single team of heroes, quiet reigns supreme as the night settles._

"Hey, guys – d'ya wanna hear a joke?" one particularly green fellow asked his friends. Smiling cheerily, he poked and prodded at their collective patience. "Do ya? You know you do! So d'ya wanna hear a joke?"

This casual prodding continued for several more minutes before the others found themselves giving into his constant voice.

"Fine!" another said. His body was part human, part machine. It was quite the intimidating sight to behold. On the other hand, though, aside from Beast Boy, he was the most easygoing of the group. "Tell us this joke, already!"

"Yes, tell us this joke," one of the two teenage girls encouraged him, casually floating over to him. She was distinctive in her bright purple clothing and vibrant hair… You know, just in case the ability to fly wasn't enough to identify her.

"Please," the other female said, exasperated. "If it means I'll be able to get past this paragraph, tell us." She was just as dark as Starfire was bright. While Starfire had brightly colored hair and clothing, Raven was dressed in deep blues and had hair so dark that it looked blue when light reflected off of it.

And though the last of their group, Robin, said nothing, it was obvious that he, too, was paying attention, despite the fact that he was casually looking over a manual for the basic laws of physics.

There was a moment of expectant quiet as they turned towards the shape-shifter. That moment turned awkward when the hero paused before looking down, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I… I forgot."

The response to that single statement was enormous. Of course, it could be blamed on both the boy himself, and his companions, for getting their hopes up.

"For the lo – " Whatever Robin had been about to say was cut off by the sound – and sight – of a great streak of dark pink as it flew past the Titans Tower. All of them had frozen, astonished, but just a moment later, the alarms went off, jolting them back into reality.

"What in the – " They never found out what Cyborg had wanted to say because Robin, who had already darted to the computer panels, cut in.

"It's an unknown source, and it's heading for the center of the city!" He took a single moment to look at the others. "Let's go, Titans."

And as if a switch had been flipped, everyone moved to get to the city square. Cyborg and Raven were in the T Car, but Beast Boy had shifted into a bird of prey to fly to the center of the city along with Starfire. Robin, though, was perched on the seat of his motorcycle.

Although it had been announced that the T Car was to be treated as an ambulance or fire engine – essentially, it had the right of way in any situation – Robin made good use of back alleys and hazardous grounds to quickly get on the scene. He found he'd been beaten by Starfire, who'd had no such impediments, and saw Beast Boy arriving. Beast Boy promptly shifted back to his natural state, panting for just a bit.

Robin spoke to Starfire, who had been there first. "What happened?"

The alien only shook her head. "I do not know."

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Robin asked, frowning. He twitched as the T Car squealed to a halt just beside his motorcycle – almost hitting his favored method of travel.

Starfire pointed in the direction the chaotic – something, anyways – had seemed to have left behind. "But please; look at the way that everything has been smashed to pieces."

Robin took in what she was saying as he gazed at the intersection and quickly understood her point. "You don't think…?"

The alien nodded. "I do. I thought I should wait before continuing onwards in order to gain your opinion."

Robin nodded thoughtfully before turning to gesture at Cyborg and Raven. It would be much safer for the T Car if they left it behind. Who knew what could happen to it? He mentally winced as he remembered what Starfire had done to the first several cars she'd run into.

"What's the situation?" Cyborg asked as he unhappily got out of his beloved vehicle.

"We think it might be another Tamaranean." Robin said simply.

"Oh." Cyborg paused to digest the information. "Well, what're we waitin' for? Let's go get her!"

Beast Boy, having regained his breathe, shifted into an elephant and trumpeted his approval before returning to human form once more. "Yeah, you said it!"

Raven, rolling her eyes, only said, "Did you ever stop to consider that it might be a guy?"

And with that, they followed the trail of broken concrete, smashed cars, pillars, and walls.

* * *

_Earth; in the center of a city that was once quiet, but is now filled with chaos, the public learns that they have been cheated of their taxes as they watch yet another street being totaled._

"Son of a – "

"Oh, my god!"

"What the hell?!"

"Help!!"

The many citizens that happened to be visiting the area were quickly toppled. The screams annoyed her – why were these mortals screaming, anyways? It wasn't like their wounds were lethal. Kagome didn't particularly care, but her instincts led her against lethally harming anyone. As a result, she'd only slammed her restraints against more inanimate objects than Starfire had, but with fewer injuries.

Kagome was just about the beat her captured hands against yet another steel bar, but paused as she heard the cries of a child. She looked around, puzzled, and found what she was looking for. It wasn't a child, but a babe that was crying out so piteously. She moved towards the child, curious, and concerned. Was the baby hurt?

As she got closer, she realized that it was not, in fact, injured. It had been left in the open back seat of a convertible, still strapped into the car seat meant for their very safety. As she got closer, the baby – she was unsure of whether it was male or female – quieted. She hovered in the air in front of the baby, curious. Most babies were ingrained with instincts – typically, the instinct to run when a predator is near. On the other hand, babies couldn't run – perhaps it was quieting with the hopes that she didn't see it? Kagome shook her head. She doubted it – she could see the babe clearly, just as it could see her. Besides, children and babies typically believed that if they could see someone, that someone could see them back.

Which still left the question of why the baby had quieted in the air for her to ponder.

Kagome, who had become lost in her musings, was quickly returned to reality when she heard the baby begin to squall again – loudly. She winced as she listened to the baby abuse her ear drums. _Definitely a girl, then, _she thought. _The only things I know that can get that loud are girls. And guys when they've been kicked, but this one obviously is female._

"_It's okay,_" she said to the baby in her native language. _"Shhhhh. It's alright. No one's going to hurt you."_

She hovered just above the child and a horizontal slant so that her torso was lower than her legs. She reached out, bound arms and all, and undid the straps that held the baby hostage. The baby girl lifted her arms towards her and Kagome instinctively opened her hands.

With the baby in her arms – held securely with the lock as a safety net in case she _did_, somehow, drop the baby – she righted herself and moved towards one of the many pockets that people had immediately run to for cover.

"_Who is the parent of this child?_" she called out, wondering if anyone would claim the baby girl. She hadn't even realized that she was speaking a foreign language yet.

"_Hello? If no one comes for this child, then – "_

Kagome was cut off by a gruff boy's voice.

"Then what?" Kagome whipped around, holding the baby close so as to not drop her.

"_Who are you?_" she demanded of the newcomer. She didn't know who he was, but he looked foolish standing atop the dented roof of a dented car. She admitted to herself that he looked a bit less foolish when his friends moved to stand behind him. One was… green, oddly enough. Another hid herself behind a dark blue cape – Kagome only knew the bearer was female because of the high waist and comfortably sized hips. There was a cyborg – one who was half human and half machine – and… another.

Kagome narrowed her eyes at the red-haired girl. She was Tamoranean. There was no doubt about it. But the question was whether the girl was an inhabitant of the city as she appeared, or someone that was leading these… others… in her attempts to recapture her.

"Put the baby down," said the cyborg, "And we can be nice about this."

"_Who are you?!_" Kagome demanded once more, moving backwards a bit, even as she floated higher. Higher ground was always an advantage in a fight. Her eyes glowed vibrantly.

"_Please, we mean you no harm!"_ It was the raven-haired Tamoranean.

Kagome narrowed her eyes at her. "_Then why have you come to me, all bearing weapons, be they of fang or tool?_" She spoke formally, a habit that came when she was irritated.

"_We are the guardians of this city._"

And Kagome lowered herself to the ground, her concerns lessening. Tamoraneans did not lie without good reason to. Kagome doubted that capturing her was a good reason.

Besides, she could respect protectors, having had so little of her own protection in her childhood.

"_What do you want?_" she asked, relaxing a bit.

The other Titans looked on in awe as the two conversed.

"_We can free you of your restraints,_" Starfire said, gesturing towards Kagome's captive arms. "_But you will need to answer to justice for your crimes._"

Kagome, who had relaxed at the idea of possible freedom, immediately stiffened, preparing to lift off once more. The baby whimpered in her arms.

"_What crimes?_" she snarled. "_I left no dead._"

At this, Starfire, surprised, looked towards Robin. "She says she had not killed anyone."

Robin was taken aback – how could anyone cause such destruction without killing anyone?

"Cyborg!" he called on the team's trusty mechanic.

"I'm on it!" the other responded, already starting a heat scan. After a moment, he spoke up, "I don't believe it! She really didn't kill anyone!"

"Are you sure?" Beast Boy asked, cautiously looking at the scanner at a position that made Kagome wince. "This thing could be busted, right?" He tapped his friend's metal arm.

"No, man – I'd be picking up some signals. Bodies are warm, and within the time span that she's been here, they wouldn't have gone cold yet. There's nothing in between. She really hasn't killed anyone." Cyborg was obviously amazed.

"Are you sure?" Robin repeated Beast Boy's question. "There could be some severe repercussions if we just let her go."

"There are no dead within the area. Unless you count a few rats in the sewers." Raven said, her voice daring the others to object. She would, after all, know. "And there are already going to be some repercussions from injuries."

Robin nodded, and then spoke to Starfire. "Tell her we'll let her go, but she has to promise not to attack people." The team's Tamoranean nodded in understanding and was just about to speak when Robin continued. "And if she has no place to go, she can come with us."

There was an awkward moment of silence in which each of the Titans had their respective thoughts on the sanity of their leader. Fortunately, that moment passed quickly and Starfire got to business.

"_We can free you,_" Starfire said once more, "_But you must promise to harm no one. And – "_

"_Done,_" Kagome hissed out before the red-haired girl was done. She would've happily cut off her arms to get rid of the restraints, but this was a much, much better alternative. Besides, she wasn't the type to purposefully harm people or things.

Relaxed, she casually moved towards the team of city defenders, her arms held out before her.

"Raven, the baby." Robin spoke, wanting the girl out of the way in case their opponent suddenly became violent.

Without any particular motions, the psychic acquiesced. As the dark energy massed around the baby, Kagome hissed, before pulling her arms towards her chest, careful not to crush the child. She glared at them, unsure of what had happened, realizing only that one of them had released dark energy. A moment of careful analysis showed that it was the girl who hid behind her cloak.

"_You will not harm her!_" she exclaimed, holding the baby to herself protectively.

"_We do not want to harm her,_" Starfire said quickly. "_We only want to take her from you – she will be returned to her parents!_"

Kagome watched them warily, stopped roughly five or six meters away from them. "_Then take her from me without your tricks."_

Starfire frowned, then nodded. "She says she will give the baby to us, but we must not use our powers to take the girl from her."

Robin, shaken by the sudden change from peaceful to angry, nodded. "That's fine."

And without another word, he moved forward until he stood before her, accepting the baby from her.

"Starfire, take her and try to find her mother. Since you can fly, you'll be her best bet at finding her mother," he ordered. Starfire floated towards them, landing with a slight tap as her boots met the ruined pavement. She took the baby from him and immediately flew to the closest lamp post, scanning for any possible matches.

"Cyborg, take Beast Boy and help her." Robin said, watching as the two he'd commanded wordlessly did as he'd bid. His peripheral vision allowed him to see that Starfire had passed the child to Beast Boy who had, apparently, become amazed by the fact that he was holding a baby. Fortunately, he was quite still without his usual bouncy movements. Cyborg converted his arm into a loudspeaker, and Starfire lifted him. Robin knew that Cyborg would broadcast as Starfire flew, and Beast Boy would follow with the baby.

He himself focused on the lock. It wasn't too complicated – the same, in fact, as the one Starfire had worn upon her entry to their planet.

With a subtle click, the lock fell open, and, remembering the impact the last one had made, Robin moved his foot just before it was crushed by the weight. As it was, he winced when he realized that it had dug itself into the pavement. He doubted he'd be able to move it without help.

"There," he said, satisfied. He took another step back, planning to get a better view of the girl before him. He was mistaken, however, in believing she would remain still long enough for him to do so.

The girl immediately launched herself into the air. Once she was about ten feet into the air, she spoke, eyes glowing. _"Do not follow me._" Then, before Robin could even begin to ask himself what she'd just said, the girl took off, long gone before he could say anything.


	2. Kagome

Only two days later, the alarms had gone off again. Invaders from the country of the two and beings they had never encountered before had appeared. They were great, bulky beings, some of them far larger than cars.

"Gross- what _are_ those?" Beast Boy asked, pointing at the four monsters along the street. They were dripping slime. The smallest of them was twice the size of Cyborg.

"That's sick." Cyborg turned the strangest shade of green. "I'm definitely checking through my gears and hardware after this one."

Star, who had come more slowly, exclaimed, "They are Gklacktorons!"

"Guh-kla- what?" Raven asked, undoubtedly confused.

"They come from a planet that wars with my own. We must hurry!" she said, taking to the skies. "There are many different races along that planet, and there is no doubt that they'll try to reclaim the girl from before!" She frowned, angry as she attacked the fliers that attacked buildings from high above.

"Best get to work then, eh?" Cyborg grunted, throwing punches of his own. He had already dispatched seven of the monsters.

"Aw, man- you got a head start on me!" Beast Boy cried out, dismayed. He shifted into an elephant, racing headlong into a group of the aliens, squashing three and ramming two others into a wall.

"Idiots." Raven said, concentrating her power. She prepared herself to summon the shadows to aid in her work again.

"Take care of things here for a while, will you? I'm going to go check on something." Robin said, inputting his own words. He had been thinking and something wasn't right- why had so many monsters appeared? It hadn't been anything like this when Starfire had appeared!

A huge explosion carried his words far away. Pink light emanated from the top of a building.

"Holy cow! Did you just see that!" Beast Boy demanded, eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

"Star!" Robin called, conveying his message in the name.

"Right!" Starfire flew to him, gripping his arms as he gripped hers.

"You guys hold things down here!" Robin called behind him, his face set.

* * *

"Come back with us- you are our prize and joy. Why did you ever leave us?" A humanoid creature was speaking with the girl, using the language of their kind. 

"You took my family, you took my things, you took my life, and you took everything that was dear to me! Well, you know what? I've found something that I like and it's called 'freedom' in this world! If anything, I should be the one asking questions- you used me for your tests and games, and twice you beat me for no reason! Why?" she screamed at him, almost sobbing in her anger. She responded in the same language, knowing no others but the girl from before would be able to understand. There were bodies strewn around her, and her grief was obvious.

"It was for your own good." The man said, his face without expression. "We fed you, sheltered you, and allowed you your freedom. Why must you be so difficult?"

"You hurt me." she said to him, quiet. "You hurt my family in front of me, and you wouldn't let them sleep. You murdered my brother in family, and you threw my pet down a pit. Then, since that wasn't enough for you, you captured me, using me as a tool for your silly tests and doing anything you wished with me.

"I waited for it." She glared at him, her eyes glowing pink. "I waited for that day so I could break out- I finally regained my abilities and now I'm able to destroy you! Leave! Never come back to this world and leave me alone, or one day, I'll find you again and rip you to pieces!" She meant what she said, and it seemed that he knew it this time.

"Very well. We'll leave you here, but only for a time. As the prize for the winner, you must return." He turned, prepared to leave. A beam of light flew past him, burning the slightest bit of his shirt, and crisping a few hairs. He turned back to her, almost quickly enough to fall.

"I will not return." She said, her eyes serious. "Go and tell Naraku to take someone else in my place. I do not understand why he could not use Kikyou. That winner, Inuyasha? He likes her as it is. Use her as my replacement."

"Y-yes! I-I'll see to it and make sure it is done!" the man was obviously frightened.

"Now, go!" she spat, allowing him but a moment to teleport away. Moments later, the skies were clear and the streets were free of the beasts.

* * *

"Um, Skyfire...?" Robin called softly. 

"Yes, Robin?"

"What were they saying...?"

"She told him not to use her as a prize and told him to return. She also gave orders for another to be used in her place. Then, he left, and that's that." Star told him. "Would you like to speak with her...?"

He nodded. "Yes, I would..."

"Very well." Starfire said, dropping him on the roof as she stepped down herself.

"It's you again." The girl said, seemingly tired. She had reverted to English.

"Yes, it is." Starfire agreed, stepping towards her.

"What do you want?"

"Well-"

Robin cut her off. "We'd like you to join us. You've shown that you are strong, and you're from the same place as Starfire."

She turned towards him, surprised at his request. "You... Want me to join you..?"

"Yes. You'd be an asset to our team."

She looked down. Her mind screamed at her, telling her it was just another way to capture her. The girl, Starfire, was only another reason.

"Why?"

"What?" Robin was taken aback.

"Why do you want me to join you?" she said, her voice stronger. "How do I know that you are not trying to take me back to _them_?" Venom filled her voice at the last word.

"Stop!" Starfire cut into the conversation. She had seen the girl activating her power again. "We promise we will not do any such thing- have us swear by Midoriko, or Kuridigan, if you must, but we will not allow you to return to them!" She calmed slightly. "I was once in the same situation as you are now. They did not allow me my freedom, and I cut them down, but _they_ helped me." She nodded towards Robin.

"Very well." The girl said, smiling. She was beautiful when she smiled, and her eyes seemed to light up. "My name is Kagome."


	3. Differences

"This'll be your room." Robin said to her. She would officially be a part of the team. No longer would she spend boring nights in the guest room she had been assigned. Now she had a room to call her own. She hadn't been allowed into it, though, for some odd reason. The girl, Starfire, had tried to explain it to her, but she hadn't understood at all.

"Everyone worked hard on it, just for you." She blinked at his words. Everyone? She'd only been there for two weeks and they'd gone to such lengths for her?

"Um... Thank you...?" she said, a little confused. Then, to make it seem as if she were confused about something other than what was confusing her, she referred to the language. "I believe that is how one shows their appreciation here..."

Robin smiled broadly at the words. "It is. Perhaps you could get Star to help you understand our language. She had some of the same problems."

"I am sorry." Kagome said, going through what he'd said but at a slower rate. He spoke so quickly... "The people of Tamaran seem to have many problems when we are learning new languages."

"No problem. I'm sure you'll get used to is soon." Robin told her, a grin plastered on his face. "Anyhow, take a look at your new room." He clapped his hands in front of the door, activating the opening sequence.

Kagome gasped. "It is beautiful!" And for her, it was true. It was a definite improvement from the guest room, and that made it more than improvement from her prison cell.

It was a direct complement to Starfire's. The bed consisted of a round, plush piece of furniture, and near it were smaller versions of it, most likely for anything she needed to set down, or for stools. Instead of purplish-pink, however, they were a bright, but deep, green. Only Starfire's starbolts could compare. One of the walls was completely made of glass. If faced the ocean, so she didn't need to worry for privacy. She spied a control next to the wall though.

"What is that object?" she asked, motioning towards the box-like thing.

"That? Oh, well, it's a control." Robin told her, striding across the room towards it. He pressed a button, and the room went dark as the windows became dark. "It sets a tint so that nothing can see inside."

"Oh. Thank you." She continued to gaze about her room. There was a door in another wall, that led to a bathroom. She spied another door, and continued towards it. There, she found Starfire.

"Oh!" Starfire had been surprised. She calmed quickly. "What do you think of your room?" she asked.

"It is wonderful." Kagome murmured. "I am thankful." Then, she reverted to the language of Tamarans. "I am eternally grateful for it. I must ask your guidance in how I am to act amongst this world, though."

Starfire followed Kagome's change in language. "There's no need to worry. It is very easy to adapt, though some things are a little strange. They have things called sodas, and pizza is still a mystery."

Surprised with the girl's enthusiasm, Kagome simply nodded, not knowing what else to do. "Do they do as we do? Keeping traditions must surely be important, even here..."

"No." Starfire told her friend. "Things are very different here. There is crime here. People do not value friendships the same way we do." She looked sad.

Kagome was appalled, but quickly realised, that there was no other way. "So the people of this world hate more than love." she murmured.

"No... That is not right either." Starfire said. "They do not hate more than we, but they do not appreciate things as much as we do."

Kagome didn't respond to that. From what she'd seen in just a short amount of time, she doubted Starfire's words.

"Are you settled in now? Let us go to the rooftop!" Starfire said, changing the subject, slightly uncomfortable with it. Kagome caught on immediately.

Grinning, she nodded. "Let's go, then..."

Elsewhere, an argument broke out. "Kikyou is not the prize that I fought for!" Inuyasha growled. Half dog and half human- he was an experiment of a more popular scientist. Because of the mix, he was able to do things that others couldn't- he was far stronger than a human, and could easily stand on the same footing of regular dogs. The lack of senses was made up for in intelligence, and the difference was made up for by the addition of other skills.

Still, he was purely angry. He'd fought fairly for Kagome, and yet when he'd been prepared to take his prize, she'd gone missing. "What happened?" he demanded, his voice filled with unsaid threats.

"I am most apologetic." Yet another figure had appeared. He seemed a bit more grotesque than the messenger that he'd sent to the brat that had fled. "It seems she refuses to return. However, I will not refuse you your prize."

"Oh?" The new figure had piqued Inuyasha's interest. "You will give me Kagome, then?"

Naraku, for that is who it was, shook his head. "She is far beyond our control now. But, I do have a clone. Why not take Kikyou as your prize?" He spread his arms- a gesture that was not lost on Inuyasha. Naraku wanted to persuade him. Well, he'd not be persuaded.

"Must I say it again?" he demanded. "I didn't fight for Kikyou! I fought for Kagome!" It was true- he enjoyed Kikyou's company. Still, he wasn't one to confuse love and lust, or even comfort. He was comfortable in using Kikyou whenever he wanted, but it was Kagome that he loved.

There were too many differences between the two of them for him to love the clone. Kagome's body wasn't cold, and nor was her heart. She was less subdued than Kikyou, and got what she wanted, one way or another.

Naraku frowned. He'd been hoping Kikyou would be sufficient. It seemed he'd have to retrieve Kagome after all. "Very well. I shall send more men to retrieve her. Would you like to go with them?"

Inuyasha was surprised. This was an offer that was far more generous than the likes of Naraku would offer. He spat. "I'll get her myself. Since you couldn't provide a prize for me, I expect another on my return." With that, he swept out of the room, and only the whir of the sliding door remained.

Naraku ground his teeth in fury. That accursed girl! He'd locked her up and put her under the best of security and she'd still escaped!


	4. Changes

Two months had passed since Kagome had become a member of the 'family'. Now, she easily molded herself into their patterns and even had no trouble trying to become a part of their strange world. True, Starfire had come from the same world and had a bit more trouble blending in, but that was because Starfire was still tied to their home world. She, Kagome, however, no longer was.

She fell into their world and loved it. She embraced their systems and their traditions. She would be lying if she said that she'd left her world behind entirely, and she didn't doubt that the others found her odd at times. She still followed the customs of her world, and managed to keep up with the customs of her new world.

She'd become open as well. Instead of remaining alien to Earth and to the titans, she found herself laughing more often. Beast Boy's antics, though odd, were often the source of her laughter, though Cyborg came in for a close second. Robin, however surprisingly, was third on her list.

She had taken to practicing martial arts with Robin and Starfire upon finding their specialties. Kagome felt that the others would be alright without any extra edge, but Robin's style was a bit too reckless, and Starfire was too dependent on her alien power. In their training sessions, his dumbfounded expression at new moves often amused her, as did his childish enthusiasm when he found he could master them and effectively use them.

Starfire, she'd found, was actually a great deal better at the arts than she'd thought.

"How long have you trained?" she'd asked that day, having been surprised with the girl's unusual adeptness.

"Most of the allotted time…" the girl had responded. That had sent Kagome's mind whirring. Most of the allotted time? That meant Starfire had been training only a little less than Kagome herself. So why was the girl so unsteadied?

"Which moons?" she'd asked, curious.

"From the beginning, I'd say until Crita and Klea crossed paths." Starfire said, a little confused at Kagome's reaction. She'd named the two moons that meant that she'd trained for five of the eight blocks that each royal was assigned.

She'd chuckled then, amused. "Do you wish to learn the last three?"

Starfire had been ecstatic at the opportunity to finish her training.

Soon, she'd begun to rival even Robin, and eventually Kagome had to rely on tricks that she'd learned over the years to keep ahead of her in spars.

Robin, however, had started to feel inferior. It had taken quite a bit of convincing to bring his ego up again.

"You're fine the way you are!" Kagome had finally cried out, exasperated. They'd been sparring, but when she'd won, he'd gone crazy, demanding that she teach him to use the powers that they of alien planets had.

"I need power." had been his cool-headed response. "I have to keep the city safe, and the enemy is getting stronger."

His words had clicked for her, and she understood his problem.

"You're not weak."

He'd blinked at her, confused at her words, and instantly his eyes had gone suspicious. "Of course I'm not weak!" he'd said, "I have to protect the city. I've got a team to lead, and I've got to do it well. I can't afford to be weak!"

"Now, believe those words." she'd told him. "But do not become deceived by them."

To be strong, one also had to be weak. He wanted to be strong without having any drawbacks. That would break him, and she knew it. It'd take a bit to keep him on the right track, but she thought she could.

Slowly, steadily, under her tutelage, he'd improved. Soon, he'd become able to take on Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy in three on one spars. Raven and Kagome had kept out of them, wincing at more painful injuries and occasionally giving words of encouragement.

Raven. She was on a completely different level of power than the others. Kagome found that each bit of power that Raven let out and manipulated was full of untapped potential. Having been forced on political visits to different planets, she knew how to help.

Meditation wasn't all of it, and both girls knew it.

"You have much potential." she'd said to her. Then, without any explanations or any questions, the two found themselves on the roof of the tower, meditating together. In meditation, Kagome helped Raven through her mind, helping her to break through the confusion that was there. The confusion, the intelligence, and the unnecessary need for solitude that the girl seemed to value.

Peace reigned in the first two weeks of Kagome's stay, and quickly, she found herself at home helping the others defeat those that threatened that peace.

In the third week, Starfire had tried to leave, feeling neglected and useless. Kagome had immediately remedied that problem, letting the girl know that even if she herself had not yet recognized it, Kagome herself had taken to her. She felt more comfortable with the girl around anyhow.

After that, things had been peaceful. Then, just one week ago, they'd come back for her. Inuyasha and even Naraku's minions had accosted her when she'd gone grocery shopping. It was her turn to prepare dinner, and she'd been planning a treat. She'd been shocked, and had barely gotten away. Fortunately, she hadn't bought anything yet, but she'd almost screamed in surprise. Still, quick-thinker that she was, she'd fled.

Upon her return to the tower, the others had made a clamor at her disheveled appearance.

"What happened, 'Gome?" Beast Boy had cried out in surprise, using her nickname.

"You look like you ran through an eighty mile marathon." Cyborg had noted, worry apparent in his voice, for all he'd been grinning at her.

Starfire, still in her room hadn't been present, and for that Kagome was thankful. The girl would be able to understand what was happening.

Raven, quietly watching with Robin, noticed the quick, relieved glance that Kagome had made toward the hall that led to their rooms.

"She's hiding something." Robin had muttered to himself. While Raven was sure she'd surprise him, she agreed with him.

"It has to do with Starfire."

"Well that's obvious." Robin said, a little curious. While it was true that his interest at Raven's statement was piqued, he was also more interested in this new trouble that Kagome brought. Ever since he'd defeated Slade and the others, he found himself a bit bored. Alien life forms as enemies would be interesting.

Instantly, he felt guilt. To take pleasure in something that would bring others pain- just what kind of superhero leader was he? Still, he sighed. There was nothing he could do until he learned more about the situation, and that could very much take a while.

Especially since Kagome had evaded all of his current questions by fainting.


	5. Events

Only a day later, things in the tower had become much more tense than usual. Kagome had been avoiding them all, Beast Boy and Cyborg had been moodier than usual, going so far as to break a controller in order to defeat each other in their game in pursuit of a way to break through their stress. As it was arguments had broken out constantly in the small eighteen hour period. Starfire had locked herself in her room, and Robin didn't doubt she was coming up with another of her strange concoctions- the Soup of Sorrow was his personal nightmare.

Raven... No one really knew just where she'd gone. Away, obviously, but to where? He frowned to himself. As it was, their team was a mess. Arguments, avoidance... It seemed he was the only normal one at the moment, and even then, he'd been working on more gadgets longer than was necessary.

At last, he sighed, a headache quickly overcoming his mind. He put his tools away, and went to his bedroom. When he got there, he flopped onto his bed. The sheets were cool against his heated skin. He curled up into a ball, instead of laying sprawled out as he usually did. He coughed, twice. Frowning, he placed a hand on his forehead.

"Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no!" he whispered to himself, frustrated. He was getting sick.

Of all things, getting sick was one of his most despised activities. It meant that he wasn't as much use in fights, he'd be left hanging often, and it was more than likely that he'd be pretty much useless. If there was one thing that he didn't like being, it was useless. Of course, he knew there was worse, but that's where he lay now.

A soft knock on the door brought him back to his cool, leadership self.

"Who is it?" he called, his voice a little groggy.

"Robin, it's me."

Instantly, he was on his feet, checking to make sure she wouldn't find anything wrong with him. "Come in, Kagome." he said.

* * *

His voice was tired. That was her first clue. She wanted to talk to him about the... well, about her captors, and now she was sidetracked. She didn't want to bother him with her problems when it was so obvious that he had his own issues to deal with. 

So when his voice told her to come in, she did so with a smile on her face.

"How are you feeling?" she asked him, curious. He hadn't done much activity that day, and yet his voice sounded tired. Something was off, and it being her, she'd caught onto it.

"I'm fine." he said to her, trying his best to flash a broad grin.

The result was something really sickly. Kagome didn't know whether to laugh or cry at how he looked. His hair was mussed, parts flat and others wild, and there were creases where he'd been lying on the bedsheets.

She sighed, putting a hand to her temple.

"So, why didn't you tell them you were sick?" she asked him, accusing him and making it seem kind in one sentence.

"I didn't want them to worry." he said, grumbling. "And it's the same reason that you've been avoiding us."

"Idiot. If you're so worried about it, I'll cover for you. Go to sleep." she told him, ignoring his last statement.

"What, are you kidding me?" he asked her, disbelief obvious in his face. He moved over to a control pad and pressed two buttons. Windows opened, and the night air swept in.

"Go to sleep, Robin." she said to him again, moving until she was just behind him. She could guess his reactions.

He turned quickly, uncomfortable with having a potential enemy at his back. In that moment, however, his left foot moved more quickly than his right, and he faltered, and almost fell.

Instead, he fell forward, and tensed himself for a meeting with his old friend, the floor. He got the rush of air, but he didn't get the slap. Instead, an arm barred the fall. Cursing himself in his mind, he realized he'd shown weakness to a member of the team that he was supposed to lead. Leaders weren't supposed to show weakness, and he was about to ask her to keep it a secret when she grinned at him.

"See? This just proves my point." she said, a cat's smile splitting her face. "Go to sleep and no one finds out."

She had him.

"Fine..." he said, averting his gaze. He went back to his bed, and fell into it. "_Now_ will you go away?"

She sashayed her way over to him, and bent over him.

"What do you want?" he asked her, his voice stony.

She didn't say anything, but she put her hand against his forehead. Within moments, he'd gone to sleep. He'd be asleep for the next couple of hours.

She straightened up and left his room. She left the tower as well, standing just outside the door.

"Sorry." she whispered, knowing that the enchanted members of her 'family' wouldn't wake up in time to stop her. She knew it was a bit drastic, but she didn't want them to get caught up in the power struggle. She'd have to go. That didn't bother her- what bothered her was that she had no choice but to.

She turned away from the tower, and a breeze came up, carrying the stench of blood, and slime. Naraku's minions had appeared, it seemed.

She floated up, off the concrete, and flew to where she thought the disgusting smell was coming from.

One person was already dead- Naraku was pushing it, with anyone dead at all. The galaxy police would come after him, unless he had some sort of cover story. She grinned mentally at the thought. Then, without a care in the world, she threw a ball of power at the oppressors- at those that had hunted her down, just to hurt her.

Within moments, they fell on their prey, and within moments, she destroyed each and every one of them, using powers that she'd never once displayed to her friends. A flash of pink and purple, and at last, he came to her.

White hair, golden eyes. Enchanting eyes. Eyes that she'd never trust ever again.

"What do you want?" she demanded, angry at those eyes. Hurt by those eyes. Hating them more than anything else.

"What else _could_ I want?" he asked her back. "Come back to me, Kagome. Be my prize."

"Prize? I'm no toy. You gave me up, when you turned to her, you over grown puppy."

"Puppy?" he asked her, chuckling. "Your sense of humor never fails to amuse me. I'll prove to you that I'm no puppy." He moved suggestively, and she growled a warning at him.

"Don't even try it, Inuyasha."

* * *

"Kagome, what have you done?"  



	6. Agreement

At first, there had been silence- she doubted that Inuyasha understood that she was serious. At one time, she'd loved him more than anything- he'd been her family, her childhood, and more. He'd loved her back. At least, in the beginning, she'd known that to be true. She had once wanted to give him everything.

Then, he had started to become offensive. He had grown vulgar and crude, and had lost his gentle touch. He'd begun to strike her. It didn't happen often, and the first time it happened, he'd been even more surprised than she. She remembered the moment, even now. He'd stared at his hand for a long time, without saying a word, in shock. Then, when he'd regained control of himself, he'd apologized. She forgot what it was she'd done to anger him, but she remembered the look of fury that he'd taken on when he'd struck her.

She could remember exactly how it felt- the sharp sting that had started it, and the full, dull ache that had come after when he'd connected with her cheek. The loud slap as she hit the concrete walkway, and the enormous bruise that had formed all along the entire left side of her back. Her right cheek had been bleeding from a scratch, but her left ankle had been sprained for the turn that she'd taken at the force of the blow. Her right leg had been scratched all up the front, for it had scraped against the table that had been their- it's sharp edge had ensured a painful stride for almost two weeks.

At the time, she'd marveled that just one blow could form so much damage, but she'd forgiven him, all the same. Then her doubts had begun to build up, as had his continued violence. He'd hit her again just a year later, and that turned into months, which quickly became weeks. Weeks turned into days, and before long, he hit her constantly, almost every time he saw her. She hated it.

She'd run away, but she'd been captured by Naraku. She found out that he'd taken her family as well. Tests, painful ones, began, and though she'd hoped, he'd never come. Naraku, being the cruel man that he was, constantly gave her updates about Inuyasha's blooming relationship with her clone, Kikyou. It had hurt, at first, to know that he'd turned away from her to become one with a look-alike.

She'd worried that he'd hit her, too. Reluctantly, she had asked Naraku to look out for Kikyou, and he'd run a background search on Inuyasha. It had turned out that he'd never struck anyone but her. That had hurt more than anything else, and she'd gone deeper inside of herself.

Soon, she'd become nothingness. She'd lost all sense of feeling, and didn't respond to anyone but Naraku. Over time, that, too, changed. Finally, one day she'd gotten fed up with the hurt and the pain, and then she'd just left. She and Naraku had decided on it together- she'd be put up as a prize, but she also had the ability to run away. They'd wondered together, and in his own twisted way, he'd helped her. Sending people to fetch her was a part of his act.

* * *

"What are you trying to prove, Kagome?" he asked her, eyes a little sad. He'd finally gotten himself completely under control- that's why he'd used Kikyou. Of course, there was no harm in using her in bed, either. He still loved Kagome, and that's what was important to him. 

"I'm not trying to prove anything." she said, her angry eyes trained on him. She was tensed, with her power hovering just below the surface of her skin. She knew he couldn't see it- no man could. Their abilities came out physically, as most of the women took their power mentally. Of course, men, claimed superiority, swore off of mental ability. Not that they could do anything, anyhow. The women, however, had options.

"Then come back to me." Inuyasha begged her, his eyes questioning her motives.

"You lost me, Inuyasha, too long ago for me to come back to you again." Kagome told him, icy eyes ignoring his false exterior.

"Then I'll have to take you back then, don't I?" he said, shedding his insecure appearance.

"Not if I have anything to do with it." Kagome responded, her face set. She wasn't going back. Not now, not ever. Then, reverting to their native tongue, she said, "Challenge rules."

He growled, cursing a bit under his breathe. "Accepted." he said, also reverting to their tongue. Instantly, a blue band of light appeared around Kagome, as did a purple-pink light appear around Inuyasha.

"Just you and me, no others involved." she said, looking him square in the eye.

"No magic either, then." he said, gruffly. He didn't want the agreement, and he knew that the more he rendered her useless, the more likely it was that she wouldn't do it.

"Two meetings, two bloods." she said, surprising him. She'd simply kept intoning, allowing his words to become a part of the spell. _Two meetings...? Oh._ he thought, confused. Then, he remembered- it meant two chances. If he couldn't bleed her twice within that time, he'd lose her forever.

"Accepted." he said through gritted teeth. He'd just have to bleed her twice then.

"Accepted." she repeated. The bands of power closed around the two of them, stopping at their throats, before becoming collars. Then, they seeped into their skin to disappear.

"Don't start today, though." she said to him, yawning slightly. She'd always trusted him to keep his word- but the power agreement was in order to keep him away. Of course, she'd made a mistake.

She'd forgotten to limit the time that he'd have to bleed her. Unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to remember that as she fell in a faint once, more.

* * *

"Starfire! Where did you find her?" Robin demanded, rushing forward to take Kagome's form from her tired arms. His fever had left with his nap, but he was hard pressed to remember not to cough. 

"She was on the top of a tall building." the girl said, exhausted. She slumped forward, walking in step with Robin. She'd spent so much time looking for Kagome, she'd forgotten to eat.

"Hey, Star! We got some food for ya!" Beast Boy called from the kitchen. Raven had mentioned Starfire's lack of appetite that day, and Beast Boy had immediately decided to make her something. Of course, Cyborg had interfered, deciding that Starfire probably wouldn't want to eat a meal without the nutrients that she normally dealt with. In the end, the two had been forced to negotiate down to lasagna.

"Thank you, Beast Boy." she smiled at him tiredly. She didn't even want to move. Still, she did move. She stood, and went to their little booth and sat as Cyborg placed a pan of piping hot lasagna on the center of the table. "Thank you, Cyborg."

Not one of the three noticed Robin taking Kagome upstairs to her room. Nor did they notice Raven putting her book down carefully on the side table next to the couch as sank into the floor to follow them.

* * *

"I'm leaving now." 

"I'll go with you."

"You need to stay behind!"

"I need to go with you."

"Who will take care of Rin? Jaken certainly isn't competent! Sesshoumaru will be furious."

"He'll be even more angry to find what his brother is doing."

"So you want to let Rin and Jaken wander off into danger?"

"Why not have Kohaku babysit?"

"... Fine."

"I'll pack up. Call him."

"Hurry."

"I will. We need to get to Kagome."

"Yes. She needs to know about this..."

"Are you sure you must go? I can do this on my own- you only just got away from him yourself..."

"I must."

Silence.

* * *

AN: Not quite sure what the pairing is going to be. I don't really like Inuyasha/Kagome, though. At least, it doesn't seem to fit in this story. Still, it depends on how things go. Anyways, more reviews would be nice- quite a few of them actually give me ideas. I get tangents all the time from certain words and they bring up story alterations. All the same, I'm trying to get up a chapter a week. Please give me your views on how _Safe_ is progressing so far, and how you think it will in the future.  



	7. Friends

"What were you thinking?!" Robin demanded, obviously angry with her. "You spelled _all_ of us _and then_ went off to fight on _your own_?!"

"I can fight on me own, Robin." Kagome said from her bed, still weak from the encounter. Her expression was defiant- she had done what she had been forced to do in order to protect those near to her. "The invading creatures have all retreated, have they not?"

She had a point there. The alien invaders _had_ retreated, and things were a little more quiet now in the city. Reparations were still being made to some buildings, but the morale was definitely higher.

Raven appeared from the shadows behind the door. "You may be able to fight on your own, but that doesn't mean we weren't worried." she pointed out blandly.

Kagome frowned. "You were asleep. You shouldn't have been affected by it."

Robin almost growled, exasperated. "Agh! How do you think we felt when we found you gone when we woke up?" he demanded. "We already know they're after you, and then to find you _gone_? Without a trace? We were worried sick! Starfire spent so much of her energy searching that she could barely finish eating when she returned with you!"

Still, Kagome remained defiant. "I don't understand what you're trying to say!" she said, her chin jutted out. "I made an agreement with Inuyasha, and now your city is safe. Is that not more important than anything else?"

"Yes- no- AAAAGH!" Robin cried out in frustration, unable to make up his mind. "The point _is_ you put us under a sleep, a _false_ sleep, and left us behind to fight on your own."

"But it keeps you out of danger!" Kagome said, confused now. Things were starting to spin again, and what had once been black and white was starting to turn grey.

"Kagome, we're a team." Raven said, taking her own turn. She moved swiftly to Kagome's side, sitting opposite from Robin on the bed. "The point of a team is to do things together. You're not supposed to do things on your own. Does that make more sense?"

"But if I had taken you, the agreement wouldn't have been reached..." Kagome whispered, confused. Her head was starting to hurt. She lowered her gaze and brought a hand up to her temple.

"Okay, that's enough. I have questions for you, Kagome, and you _have_ to answer them." Robin said, his expression set. He'd obviously moved on to another topic.

"Very well." she said, more than willing to answer questions. "Ask what you wish."

Robin was a little surprised at her willingness, and Raven hid a small smile. "Who's Inuyasha, for one thing, and you keep talking about an agreement. What do you mean by that?"

Kagome blinked slowly. She'd flinched at the mention of Inuyasha, but when she found they hadn't any idea of what an agreement was, she'd been shocked.

"You... Really don't know what a contract is?" she asked, a little slowly. When the two in the room nodded, she sighed. "Very well. But I will only explain this once. Starfire can explain to the others." Then she began to explain.

"An agreement is a form of a contract." she started off, trying to find the proper words to describe it. "It is an agreement of power that binds those involved to the terms. For example, my agreement with Inuyasha stated that we cannot include others. No innocents, and certainly no allies. Just him and me in a no magic fight. He has two chances to make me bleed, but he has to make me bleed twice. If he cannot do that in two turns, then he cannot have me, and I will be free."

She gasped, suddenly, surprising Robin and Raven.

"What is it? What's wrong?!" Robin asked her, worry plain on his face.

"I forgot to limit his time..." she said, feeling like a fool. The time was the most important part of any agreement. It set boundaries on those that were involved in it. She'd forgotten to limit the time, and now he would be able to come whenever he wished.

Then, overcome, she fainted back into her plush pillows, her worried expression quickly becoming soft, almost childish in her quick descent to sleep.

Quietly, Raven and Robin crept out of the room, not wanting to disrupt her any more.

* * *

In the hall, however, they spoke as they walked to the living room. 

"We never got to hear about this Inuyasha figure." Robin frowned, frustrated.

"What, are you jealous?" Raven asked him, eyebrow raised.

Before Robin could answer, however, the alarms went off. The two looked at each other before running to the control room.

* * *

"Stop right there!" Robin warned the two newcomers. "I don't know what you're trying to do, but I can give you five good reasons not to." 

Then, before the others could take their place, one of the two, a woman with long, tied up black hair and a bluish eyeshadow, disappeared before reappearing just in front of him. There was relief in her expression. She grasped his two hands between her own and smiled broadly.

"Miroku! He's had contact with Kagome! And recently, too!" she called back to the male. Instantly, the male was also at his side.

He and the woman wore garb similar to Kagome's and Starfire's, from when they had first appeared on Earth. The woman was well built, and her outfit was in pink and black, rather than the tones of purple Starfire had chosen and the longer green-type skirt and shirt type that Kagome had worn. The man, however, wore what looked to be robes. Blue and purple mixed in to match each other in the outfit. He carried a staff, and held himself the same way a priest or a pastor of some type of religion would.

Robin felt dwarfed now, seeing as both of them were taller than he was. They were probably taller than Kagome and Starfire, too, though he doubted they could top Cyborg.

And they knew Kagome.

"It seems they've run into Starfire, also." the man, Miroku said, his own expression of cheer rather refreshing.

Beast Boy and Cyborg were puzzled, as was Raven. Starfire, however, was pleased.

"Sister Sango! Brother Miroku!" she called out to them, absolutely delighted. "How pleased I am to see you!" She rushed forward to sweep the two into a strong hug.

The others had flinched at the motion, remembering their own painful experiences, but these two took it in stride.

"Starfire! Is Kagome near?" Sango asked, her expression serious now. "Inuyasha's coming after her, and Naraku's done something that doesn't follow with their plan."

"What do you mean?" Starfire asked, confused.

"There's no time to explain. Where's Kagome?" Miroku said urgently. Starfire knew that they were not the type to be so serious without reason.

"Star, can we trust them?" Beast Boy asked, a little nervous.

"Yes. They are old friends, and very honorable." she said. "I will take them back ahead of you." With that, she lifted off the ground, as did Sango. Each of them held out a hand to Miroku, and he, too, was lifted off the ground. Soon, all that could be seen of their strangely shaped figure was gone, disappearing behind the smog of some of the nearby factories.

* * *

AN: Thank you for reviewing, **Tijiya**, **MidnightSuburbia**, **Firefox ShadowWolf**, and **AngelicThoughts**. I'd especially like to thank **Natsumi Tsuchi-Ookami** and **Mya Uzo** for reviewing so constantly. I do have a pairing in mind, though it can bend and change easily, if the readers with is to. Therefore, I'm asking now.

What do you think the pairing should be?


	8. Preparations

Kagome woke with a groan. She pushed herself to sit up, using two pillows to stay upright. Even so, her head pounded. It was stifling in her room, and too dark. Slowly, she got to her feet. Once halfway standing, she used the wall as support as she made her way to the remote box that controlled the room's properties. Once she had things set to her satisfaction, she collapsed against the ever so solid wall.

She heard a knock, and couldn't reply. It came again. Still, she said nothing. The door creaked open and someone poked their head in- she couldn't see from her position.

"Aw, man. I think she's gone again!" someone called back. It seemed there were others, not in her room. Her room spun around her. She had to reorient herself to remember where she was, but still, things spun around. She closed her eyes, and held her head in her arms.

"Beast Boy, you'd better not be playing us!" someone called. It was... Cyborg? Memories flashed against her eyelids. Images that she couldn't avoid seeing. They moved backwards and forwards, and in all kinds of patterns. Then-

"Inuyasha..." she breathed in, before black took over once more.

She had no way of knowing who it was that had come to help her. Nor did she know that Inuyasha would come again, soon.

* * *

While Kagome lay sleeping, Beast Boy had managed to trick all of them- he'd said that she'd left again, but in truth she'd gone no where. 

"I keep telling you, it really looked like she wasn't there!" he kept trying to explain.

"Beast Boy, I mean, I know we all like jokes and all-" At a brief glare from Raven, he amended his statement. "-I know you and I like jokes and all, but this is something serious. You can't keep saying that!" Cyborg admonished his friend.

"I'm sorry about this," Robin apologized for the two rambunctious teammates.

Sango seemed a bit surprised that he was addressing them, but quickly hid it. "It is nothing." she said to him. Then, pointing at Miroku, she said, "That guy is a lot worse. Be sure not to let anyone-"

A rather loud, intoning buzz was heard, and Miroku crashed to the other side of the room. Raven, apparently having been wronged, glared at him. "Do it again, and I send you to an entirely new dimension." Without another word, she turned on her heel and left the room.

"Oh." Robin said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I... um, I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to say to that."

Sango grinned at him warmly. "Don't worry about it. He only goes for the girls, or the really pretty boys. Anyhow, in one of her missives, Kagome mentioned that you wanted to get better training?"

Robin nodded vigorously. "Yes! She's been showing me all kinds of new moves and stuff! It's really neat, the way her style just flows together, no matter what moves she puts together."

She laughed at his enthusiasm, surprising him, and distracting the others. It was a pretty sound- very much like Kagome's. "I'm sure he'd be glad to help you. On our planet, the men learn all the martial arts. It's actually rather fascinating to watch them fight."

Robin blinked, before sending a wary sidelong glance towards the robed alien.

Feeling that he was being doubted, Miroku instinctively put his hands up in a show of peacefulness. "Now, now, friend Robin. You needn't worry. Like my dear Sango says, I only go for the girls, and only some of the prettiest boys."

Robin twitched, almost in disgust. He wasn't quite sure what he should be feeling- relief at not having to worry about being groped, or whether he should be insulted at the insinuation.

Sango grinned. "Like I said, don't worry about. Why don't you show him the ropes in your tower, then?" Sango suggested, shooing the two away.

"I can see we're not wanted here." Miroku said cheerfully. "Please, show me this work room of yours." He gestured to the door.

"Alright," Robin said, still watching the perverted alien suspiciously. "Follow me." And in the time it took for them to move about three yards, they were gone.

Sango sighed, though she wasn't sure whether it was in relief or something else.

This left just Beast Boy and Cyborg, and those were the two that she'd been aiming for. She wanted to speak to them about something.

"Dude!" Beast Boy finally cried out in frustration. "Would you just listen to me? She looked like she wasn't there! I didn't mean to do jack diddly squat, but it happened, alright?" He growled, before pulling a trick on the game console they were playing to get ahead of his friend.

"Chill, man." Cyborg said defensively, hands in the air, away from the controller. Just as he noticed what had happened, the screen's high score came up, Beast Boy's name appearing just over his own. "I'm gonna get you for that, you know that, right?" he demanded, twitching slightly.

Sango floated over the couch and right in front of the screen, watching the two of them squabbling for a moment, shaking her head. Then, using her powers, she picked the two up separately in balls of dark purple magic before spinning them around rather crazily.

At last, she brought the balls to a halt, the two inside rather dizzy. Beast Boy looked like he was about to puke, and Cyborg wasn't too far behind. She grinned, wondering if they'd gotten the point.

"Are you done now?" she asked, her tone that of inquiring curiosity.

The two twitched slightly as the glared at her, their earlier sicknesses now fading away.

"What're you doing?" Beast Boy asked, his gaze that of a child who had not gotten that which he wished for.

"I'm trying to get a point across." Sang said patiently, setting the two back onto the couch as she touched onto the floor herself.

"Alright, so what'd you need to talk to us for?" Cyborg asked, guessing shrewdly. Sango grinned at him. This one was a bit more intelligent than he seemed.

"I won't mince words, then." she said, her expression returning to it's serious gaze. This quickly brought the two to their own serious forms. "You are weak."

Beast Boy and Cyborg immediately started to glare. "What's that supposed to mean?" Beast Boy demanded, eye flashing slightly.

"There is no meaning other than that which was stated." she said, steel entering her voice. "I meant what I said. You are weak."

Then, almost hesitant, she said, "I can teach you."

_That_ definitely got their attention. Beast Boy exchanged glances with Cyborg. They were both a little worried, and a little frightened. They didn't know what she wanted, but she was offering to train them. A couple of minutes went by in this fashion, with the two exchanging words with their eyes.

Finally, Cyborg sighed. "We could use whatever she throws at us." he said to Beast Boy.

Beast Boy, who was still glaring at Sango, demanded, "Just what can you teach us?"

"More than you know." Sango grinned, satisfied. She knew they'd follow through.

"Fine. You've got yourself two new students." Cyborg shrugged.

* * *

AN: Thanks to **Mya Uzo** and **Natsumi Tsuchi-Ookami** once more for reviewing. I'm toying with the idea of ignoring a time limit- that way things can flow a bit easier. Both sides will have more time to prepare, and honestly, things get a bit more interesting. Also, I'm giving Kagome/Robin a shot. It would definitely work. Any other thoughts, dear readers? 


	9. Explanation

AN: I'm SO SORRY! Here's an update, and I intend to return to my former schedule, but I'm so very sorry! TT Special thanks to Mya Uzo-san and Natsumi Tsuchi-Ookami-san. You've been patient, and you're the only ones that bother to review anymore, not that I blame anyone. Anyways, here's the requested grope part. _  
_

* * *

_She was running... Breathless, panting. Sweat covered her like a second, watery skin. Her bones felt like jelly, but she knew she had to keep running. She wasn't sure of why. Just... she had to keep going. No matter what. She couldn't explain the fear in her mind or the need to get away in her heart. All she knew was that there was no point in flying- they'd still catch her._

_Then she entered the tunnel and flying no longer was an option. It was round- a pipe of some sorts. Water was on the ground, and the concrete was slimy. She couldn't explain how she knew- she just did. And she kept running. Her lungs were straining for breathe- she was running and exhausting her body and blood of oxygen and the life it brought with it in her bid to freedom._

_She tripped, then, and stayed down for a moment, trying to catch her breathe. Now that she was down, she realized it would be so much easier not to get up. To stay like that. Resting quietly, forever. She slowly got to her hands and knees, and then to her feet. Leaning against the curved walls to listen to the approaching voices before she started running again._

_Every bone in her body protested. Ever organ, ever joint, every tissue, every cell, and every single drop of blood- it all raged against her. She was too hot, and her sweat made her body slick. She wanted nothing more than to stop running, but she had no choice. With her hair plastered to her back and face, she kept running. If she didn't, they'd catch her, and if they caught her, she'd never get away. Never get another chance to be free._

* * *

She woke screaming as she bolted upright. Breathing hard, she tried to calm herself. Her sheets and clothes were soaked with sweat, and her eyes, wild. Only moments later, her door burst open and she saw all of her friends there, both old and new. They questioned her, all of them worried, asking what was wrong. Only Sango, and Raven now, it seemed, realized it was just a nightmare. 

"I'm sorry." she said, bowing her head slightly in apology. "I hadn't meant to bother anyone." Glancing briefly at the clock beside her, she winced. It was already two in the morning. She had probably woken them all.

"You... I..." Robin seemed to be at a loss for words.

Kagome was relieved- then shocked. "S-Sango-chan...?" she called, almost tentatively. "Miroku-san...?" The sudden tension was broken as the group huddled at the door fell through it, person tumbling over person as Sango and Miroku immediately stood at Kagome's side.

"Another nightmare, Kagome-chan...?" Sango asked kindly, carefully brushing the girl's bangs from her eyes.

"Yes..." Kagome nodded, surprisingly subdued.

* * *

Only a while later, at the more holy time of nine in the morning, the group was gathered around the kitchen booth. They'd finished breakfast, and now simply looked at each other, silent and waiting. Then, Kagome spoke up. Her dream had told her it was time to speak. 

"Inuyasha- he was a good friend of mine. Closer than that, even." Kagome said softly, answering Robin's earlier question. "He and I... We were very, very close. We were always together- he, Sango, Miroku, and me."

"But?" Beast Boy prompted her at the hesitation.

She smiled at him, almost sadly. "Politics. Inuyasha was weaker and stronger. He learned both martial arts and mental tactics. Most of the time, that is... wrong. Men must learn martial arts, and women must train their minds. Inuyasha made himself something of an outcast by learning both, for all he blended the two together masterfully, eventually learning attacks that most others couldn't do. I was an outcast because I was too strong- as a female, my mind was disciplined far better than the others, so I was always the odd one out. Because of this, I found myself watching the men train rather than bothering with the murmurings of those that held me away. That's how I learned so many different moves.

"Sango-chan is different because of her power. She is rather terrible with controlling herself, so she's one of the few women that are better suited to martial arts. That singled her out immediately. Miroku-san... Well, a couple years into his training, his over-friendliness got him into a bit of trouble so he was forced to train with the women until he could control himself. This also set him apart." Kagome said, her face straight.

"Then, because we were alone, we were approached." she murmured darkly. "Naraku... He claimed us as his own for experiments. Well, Inuyasha wasn't stuck with us- he's one of the royals in our country, so he can do pretty much anything he wants. But, Sango-chan, Miroku-san, and I... We were stuck."

Bitterly, she continued. "Miroku-san and I underwent tests. Sango-chan was freed earlier because she attacked her jailers and left. After that, she declared that Naraku would be better of leaving her alone- she'd found her way to Inuyasha, see? But this meant that Naraku was even more worried about how we'd deal with him. He tightened security. Miroku-san gained a black hole in the palm of his right hand, so he needs to keep a seal on his hand. It came in handy for when he escaped." She pointed at the beads around his right forearm. "He sucked his jailers into the void and escaped like that."

Her expression was grim though her voice was harsh. "He learned not to give me power and not to let me get close to my jailers." she spat. "And eventually, he told me what I was supposed to be- a base. He took some of me- hair, nail clippings, dead skin- and used them in experiments. He made clones of me. Only one of them was even barely adequate. The others he threw away, destroying the bodies after studying them to see where he went wrong. The clone that succeeded- he named her Kikyo."

Kagome's voice softened, though only slightly. "Then he put us through tests. He gave us both children- I was given a small fox-child from a neighboring planet to raise. I raised him with love and care, as if he were my own. His name was Shippo, you see... Kikyo failed this test- she completely ignored her child, a thunder-child called Souten. In his rage, Naraku brought all of my family, and even my pet to me, demanding to know if I had messed with the test, doing something against my nature. When I assured him that I hadn't, he started to kill my family members. I remember Souta went last." She seemed slightly haunted when she spoke- "He was begging for me to save him. He threw them all into a single pit, even my dog, and burned them all in front of me.

"The disappearance of my entire family didn't go unnoticed- there was an investigation, and I was uncovered. Naraku was afraid now- he needed to get rid of me, the evidence. He torched the lab, and then cleaned it up- he kept me in a cell and held a contest to get rid of me- he still needed me, you see, and he intended to kidnap me later on. The contest was a tournament of sorts, and Inuyasha won. During the contest, he found me. Naraku had shown me to them, all prettied up and everything so they'd have some reason to fight. Inuyasha... Well, Naraku needed favors, so he allowed Inuyasha to do things others couldn't- Inuyasha sort of courted me. He told me of Sango, and of Miroku. He even brought them to me. I was almost free, and I had friends. I was afraid at first, but then they proved themselves to me. Inuyasha won the contest, but I found that Naraku was going to kill me- he'd been officially caught and was going to be arrested. He set all kinds of plans into motion, but I ran. I messed up as many of his plans as I could and escaped. Anything to flee. There was a very long tunnel, and that's mostly all I remember. Shippo-chan had been..." she paused, thinking. "I think Inuyasha freed him, so I didn't have to worry about that, either."

"Then I ended up here."

There was quiet for a moment, the Robin stood, languidly stretching. "Well, that sounds normal. I'm gonna be asking more questions soon, but why don't we have Starfire explain agreements to these guys while think of 'em? If anyone else has questions, hold them for later- we'll take them all out at once.

Tension filled the air, though no one was quite sure of why. Then-

"AAAAAAAAGH!?" Robin shouted out, jumping slightly. His face was bright red, and he was tensed. The others were shocked, most of them glancing around warily for any enemies.

"Mmmmmm. You must exercise often- these are very firm." Miroku said. Kagome blinked, and grinned before laughing. Sango, seeing what Kagome had, quickly followed.

"It's not funny!" Robin cried out, embarrassed as he quickly moved away from Miroku, still blushing vividly. Cyborg starting laughing, and Beast Boy followed. Even Raven chuckled at their leader's humiliation.

"Well, at least it tells you you're hot." Kagome drawled out, grinning at him evilly when she stopped laughing.


	10. Movement

After some time, the group scattered. No one wanted to ask just why Inuyasha had attacked, or even when he'd gone bad. She seemed to think well of him, if not all the time. But then again, there were the few that weren't afraid to ask.

When Robin had calmed down (he's shut himself up in his room for over three hours in what they thought was humiliation), Raven pulled him aside with questions of her own. "What do you think?" she asked him, curious about his own opinions. She was still putting her questions in order.

"She never mentioned Inuyasha aside from how he'd saved them." Robin said, frowning slightly. _Is it because she's covering for us? Or because she doesn't want us involved?_ He was surprised to hear Raven voice these questions just after he thought them.

"Well...?" she added on to her words. "Which one do you think it is? It seems that she's still afraid to let outsiders in."

"I agree. If that's the case... We'll have to change her opinion about that." Robin said, his tone firm.

* * *

"Ne, Kagome-chan?" Sango started, to get her friend's attention. Both Kagome and Miroku turned to the female. "What were the terms of agreement you made with Inuyasha...?" 

Kagome winced at the name, but Sango hadn't finished yet. "And, particularly, what did he do? We didn't hear. Actually, he just came in screaming that you were gone and left the next day. It took us forever to find you."

"Inuyasha... He..." Kagome hesitated. _Should I tell them...?_Almost in disbelief at her lack of trust, she crushed that part of her and told her closest friends. "He made a plan with Naraku and me. He would retrieve me the day before the checked the lab. Naraku tried to kill me, though, because he couldn't stand the idea of anyone having me but him. Obviously, we didn't agree about it. Inuyasha... He'd just won the competition and was already angry. I guess when I disappeared, Naraku told him that I ran away on my own." Without realizing it, Kagome had started crying. Or rather, tearing up and losing liquid as the tiny droplets slid down her cheeks. "You know, he was cheating on me. With Kikyo." she said, brokenly.

Sango reached over to take Kagome's hand, realizing that Kagome had born far too much. She shouldn't have been thrown into this chaotic mess. She was thankful that she and Miroku had warned the others not to treat Kagome differently. It would've broken the girl even more. She pulled the girl into her arms, holding her, reassuring her. Letting her know that she was there- her constant friend.

Miroku came as well, crossing the room to envelop the two of them, tears of his own slipping from his eyes- empathy often caused him great pain. Sango reached up to put an arm around his shoulders as well, knowing he needed it. As the main fighter, she got lucky. She was able to withstand far more mental damage than these two. She'd long since shut her mind to pain, physical and mental. She watched as the girl broke down, straight up crying and sobbing as her two friends watched over her and lent her comfort.

How the hell were they going to tell her about the incident back home?

* * *

"Friends, does it not seem that Kagome is hiding something from us?" Starfire inquired. She was floating about, pretty much lazing as she watched Beast Boy and Cyborg argue over what game to play next. "She has yet to mention exactly why this Inuyasha is after her now. And why he is acting the way he is if he was so good to her before." She went on for a few minutes before she realized that they weren't paying her any mind. She was slightly annoyed, but she'd been living with them long enough to understand that they were to preoccupied with their gaming. 

Instead of disrupting their gaming or interrupting their continuous squabbles, she excused herself from the room, heading for the roof. As she passed by Kagome's room, she could hear tears, and the slightly mention of Kikyo. At that, she frowned. Kikyo... She remembered Kikyo. The woman had always been cold. She'd been kind, but untouchable, and tended to destroy enemies without bothering to ask them of their names. So Kikyo had something to do with Kagome, and if the tears now and the cold, expressionless face from earlier were any indication, this Kikyo also had something to do with Inuyasha and Naraku. Starfire nearly hit herself in the face when she remembered that Kagome had spoken of Kikyo earlier.

"So that Kikyo is also Kikyo." she murmured softly to herself, trying to figure things out. Kikyo and Inuyasha and Naraku and Kagome. There was a cycle here, and Kagome seemed to be taking the brunt of it.

She heard footsteps, and could hear the sobs. She would learn nothing else from listening. She turned the idea over in her head, and went to her room rather than the roof. She had some thinking to do.

* * *

"What do you mean?" 

"We've found her current location, but she is currently in the care of a female by the name of Sango and a male by the name of Miroku."

A crash and a thud. A mark along the wall and a smashed crate just before it indicating his anger.

"Those _traitors_!"

"It seems they have taken to her plight."

"They'll learn better soon enough. I _always_ get what I want. Especially now."

Memories. Terrible ones. Pain, blood, death. Tears.

"New orders, sire?"

"Contact Naraku. Or, wait. Rather than contacting him, watch him. I require you to spy on him as you have on these _Titans_ and my Kagome."

* * *

"Jaken." a quiet voice. 

"Y-yes, sire?!" a determined response.

"Where is Rin?"

"She is- huh?"

A quick glance around.

"I do not see her anywhere, sire. That girl is so troublesome, always going off on her own like this. Shall I look for her, m'lord?"

"No. I require the presence of the one known as Kohaku."

"Yes, sire."

* * *

A boy-child was running, leading a girl-child by the hand as she held a smaller child in her other arm. She tripped and fell, loosing her grip on the child she'd been carrying. The boy, having been caught off guard, skidded to a stop before quickly turning back to help her up. He returned the child to her and once more took hold of her hand. 

"We must hurry, or we won't be able to get on the ship!" the boy said.

"Yes. It's too bad Ah and Un couldn't come with us. Jaken-sama would've like to see this 'Earth' at least once as well, I think. Sesshoumaru-sama must've seen it a great many times!" the girl grinned happily. She was going to Earth. She'd found out that once the boy would leave her with Jaken-sama, he'd leave to go to Earth to find his sister and her lover and friend. It being who she was, Rin had, of course, urged him to take her with him, wanting to see Earth herself.

She supposed Jaken-sama would be throwing a fit right about now, but Sesshoumaru-sama wouldn't mind. If anything bad happened, he'd always be there to protect her. She grinned even more cheerily, her trust in her lord filling her mind.

* * *

AN: Mya Uzo and Natsumi Tsuchi-Ookami... I luffles you! You've been a great help with teh questions and stuff, making me remember things that I might've forgone. ;D Remind me to write the two of you something when I'm done with this, ne? 


	11. Running

She wasn't sure of what to say, or even of what to do. She'd been leaving the Titans' Tower to buy some groceries - an act that made her check over her shoulder each time she left - when the three had deposited themselves before her. Kouga and Rin seemed quite proud of themselves, and they'd even brought little Shippo with them.

"What have you done?" she whispered, shocked. Certainly, there was no issue with her smaller friends having come - even if they were entirely useless, they wouldn't get in the way, and would likely learn from their stay. She looked at them and sighed.

Rin had immediately begun staring at her toes - where had her shoes gone? - and Kouga was staring at her, though he refused to meet her eyes. The little fox kit, though, leaped down from his place in Rin's arms and hopped up into Kagome's own waiting arms.

"It'll be alright, Mama." he assured her. "Since Rin and Kouga were the ones that came, Hakkaku and Ginta probably aren't far behind. And Jaken and Sesshoumaru, too, I bet, since Sesshoumaru won't even let Rin cross the street without strict orders."

She frowned, before finally sighed, rolling her eyes. Her stance of scolding changed to that of a woman mothering her children. "And just what would you have done if you'd gotten lost?" she asked sternly. "Or if one of you had been caught? Or if you'd gotten hurt?"

Kouga bared his teeth. He wasn't such a little boy anymore, reverting back to his older, more real form of a young man. "Come on, Kagome! How could I have ever lost you? And I wouldn't have let them be hurt."

"And if we got caught, all I'd have had to do is use my fox fire!" Shippo chirped cheerily.

Rin, though, seemed a bit surprised at the sudden change in the little boy's size. She glared at him accusingly. "You said you were my age!"

"I am, dear lady." he grinned at her. "Or at least, that's how old I was at the time." He was one of the people who always spoke the truth - if they believed it, it was real. Or so they said, anyways.

"Anyways, I can help." he said, his gaze serious and set, seeking Kagome's eyes.

"Yes, you can," Kagome agreed, "By taking these two back home."

Immediately she was given the kicked wolf and abandoned puppy expressions that she had never quite been able of overcoming. She sighed, feeling a headache coming on.

"Alright, come in. I'll have to introduce you. And mind you, it's not up to _me_ to decide who stays and who goes." she warned them, stepping aside to give them space to enter.

As it was, she herself was worried. At first had had been only she, and the girl, Starfire, who had been there for so long. Then, Sango and Miroku had followed. Now, it was these three, and the promise of more people that they'd brought was... nerve-wracking. There were so many of them. She'd likely have to leave. There was no way that the Titans' Tower could house so many.

Nor did she have any intention of making it house them. If more people were coming, she was leaving. She couldn't allow her baggage to bother them any longer. Especially not with all of the kindness they had given her. Still, she'd have to leave discreetly. After all, Sango and Miroku would likely be adamant about leaving the safety, and they'd be loud about it.

No, this was something she had to do on her own. Without anyone else knowing.

Even as she made the introductions that she had been forced to make, her smile, while it made its appearance and was free of any doubts or troubles, her mind was sad to have to say goodbye.

After she had spelled them to make the contract with Inuyasha, they'd been angry with her. Raven and Robin had explained why, but still, she couldn't help but feel as if it was something she had to do. Besides, she was exempt from their protection because the Agreement had spoken of no outside interference.

If and when he came, it would be two on two or one of them would die, and it wouldn't be her.

Some temporary rooming arrangements were made; Shippo would stay with Sango, and Kouga would stay with Miroku. Rin, though, would sleep with Raven. All of them had been curious at Raven's easy acceptance of the girl, but Kagome only breathed easier. Raven's acceptance not only helped her plan her escape - had it been any other room, Rin would've been staying with Kagome - but it showed that Raven's self-inflicted loneliness was beginning to leave, albeit slowly.

"Right then, we've got all that figured out!" she grinned, cheerily. "Who's up for some pizza?"

There was an immediate chorus of agreements, and hands were thrown into the air. Quickly, they jammed themselves into land vehicles - the T-Mobile - not the company, the car! - had proven to be larger than they'd thought when they were able to squeeze in the mouse-Beast Boy, Kouga's wolf cub form, Shippo's smaller fox form, Rin, Starfire, Sango, Miroku_ and_ Raven. Kagome had taken the safer option of riding with Robin. She'd offered to switch with Starfire, but the alien girl seemed more interested in making friends with Kouga and Rin, even as she pet Shippo's soft fur.

As it was, Kagome sat firmly behind Robin, her front firmly attached to his back as her arms wrapped around his waist, clasped in front of his stomach. At times like this, she was thankful that Tamaranians had long limbs. As they moved along, she spoke to him.

"If I disappear while we're going to go and get pizza, it's because I need to go and pick up something. It's a surprise, so don't tell anyone, alright?"

"Alright, why not. Just be careful. You've still got to learn your way around, right?"

"It's fine. I know where I'm going." she assured him.

Halfway through pizza, she excused herself to the restroom along with the other girls. She made sure to be the last one to use the restroom, and the last one to head back. When Starfire offered to wait, she waved it off, saying, "Oh, don't worry. It's not like I'm going to get lost in a restaurant. Besides, if you don't hurry back, the pizza will disappear."

It was a good point to make, seeing as it was both true and effective. The males had a tendency to make large quantities of food disappear individually, so seeing them together would be terrifying at an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet.

Then, when the coast was clear, she left. It was as easy walking out the back door. She flew to the shopping mall and silently slid her communicator into one of the pipes along the ceiling of the building.

Part one being done, she entered one of the clothing stores that the shopping mall had. She purchased two outfits with money that she'd earned on the side and had invested with some well placed stocks.

Now, she easily blended in with the crowds of people. And in doing so, she easily disappeared.

* * *

"Naraku has remained on his own, then?"

"Yes, sir."

"No movements or anything?"

"He had two Chinese take-out dinners and had servants deliver his food. That has been his only contact with the outside world."

"He hasn't viewed the screens? Or listened to the broadcasts?"

"Absolutely nothing, sir. He was immersed in his work in lower levels of his home and laboratory. He seems to be working on a replacement prize."

"Good. Kagome, and the Titans? And my _friends_?"

"All is quiet sir."

* * *

"Have you readied everything?"

"H-hai!"

"Then let us be on our way."

* * *

"I'll meet you there, then."

"Of course."

"Smack Kouga, for me, will you? He needs to stop leaving us to run in his dust."

"No kidding."

"See you there."

"Later."

* * *

AN: Here's one of those long awaited updates. It took a long while, but it's progressing again. Since I lost most of my previous notes, the story may be taking a radically different direction, so be prepared for it! Thanks to all of those who waited so patiently, and also to those who reviewed with such energizing messages. Those reviews actually remind me of the story, so keep reviewing, my precious readers!


	12. Intermission

Robin had been particularly depressed when he'd finally realized that she'd gone. Not just left to pick up a surprise as she'd said she had, but she'd disappeared. Two months had passed, and he was still trying to come to terms with the issue. She'd lied to him. He supposed he was only hurt because he'd been developing feelings for her, but the fact that she'd lied... It cut him deeply.

It didn't matter that he knew she had her reasons, and was probably doing it for their sake. He missed her, and he wanted to see her again. He wanted to at least ask what had happened, and why. He'd gone after her immediately after he'd realized what had happened, but was stuck. He'd found her communicator after long hours of searching. It had been in the pipes of the city mall. That was when he realized just how futile his search was.

He'd given up and returned to the Tower, dedicating his free hours to Kagome, and working with the Titans and Kagome's friends to hunt down criminals. He remembered a conversation he'd had with Sango about Kagome.

_"Aren't you worried about her?" he'd demanded angrily. He was frustrated, and was taking it out on the closest member of his currently malformed team: Sango._

_"Of course, you idiot." she'd scolded him, having forseen the signs of this particular encounter. She wasn't who she was for nothing. "But what can we do? I could track her down and corner her, but she'd just run away again. What do you want to do? Cage her?" She sighed, tired. "Besides, it's Kagome. She's the one that trained the lot of you. Do you really think you could take her down? And that's not counting the emotional attachment you've got."  
_

He hadn't been sure of whether she'd been talking about them as a group or of him as a person, but he'd been too afraid to ask. Leaders weren't supposed to be transparent. Still, he'd taken her words to heart and gotten all of them settled in. Sango lived in Kagome's former room. Apparently, they'd been used to rooming together, so she wouldn't mind. For the time being, Rin was also with her. Shippo, though, was with Kouga in a different room, along with Miroku. There was many a time that he'd been grateful for their help.

Shippo had been quite the amazing little creature. He'd been trained in the fire arts, and was very much the trickster of their group. Beast Boy and Cyborg were his favorite targets, with Kouga being his second. The little fox kit had too much energy as it was, so it was a relief when he was worn out from a well fought battle.

Rin, it turned out, was a healer, both with materials, and without, meaning that she didn't need a splint to fix a broken bone, but it helped. It helped, because Raven couldn't always help them, and it seemed that Rin could work with anything. She was able to change things from one substance into another, which was always a treat to watch. It had been very useful when they'd had a rare blackout about two weeks ago. She's simply stood on the roof with a funnel and bottle. Attached to the bottle had been a cable that ran to their power box. She'd fixed it by manipulating the wind. While many would see it as energy conversion, he'd seen the little sparks of power she'd added to the cable.

Kouga's ability was speed. While none of them were quite sure how he did it at first, he'd eventually explained that he was a rampant experiment of Naraku's. He'd gotten away with his super speed when Naraku had been trying to see how long he could run quickly for. The experiment had worked too well, and he'd run away.

Sango was amazing. She'd turned Beast Boy and Cyborg around. While their personalities were much the same, their abilities had grown ten-fold. Instead of randomly changing into what seemed like the best suited animal, Beast Boy had learned to calculate it. When in water, he became the most lethal thing he could manage without giving the enemy the advantage without having to shift to avoid another attack. It saved countless seconds and had been very helpful. Of course, Sango's hand-to-hand combat exercises had helped him as well. Cyborg, though, as different. Instead of working with his changes and technology, she taught him exercises of the mind. Things that, while they wouldn't be efficient attacks, were useful in organizing his mind, which was often caught between his need to have something that belonged to truly him and his self-doubts. Saving both time and wasted effort, he found himself working on better, and more improved gadgets instead of getting the sillier, more useless things, like far-too-large stereos that would never be used again and robots that didn't work. Now, he spent his time on updating their weaponry and reinforcing their transports. Who'd have thought it would take an alien woman to force such great changes? And with such little effort, at that.

Miroku became Cyborg's constant companion in the mechanical work. It turned out that he was particularly good with his hands. So good, in fact, that he'd managed to make several useful bombs. Not so strong as to damage buildings, but strong enough to blow dirt and trees and other things to bits, not to mention human beings. So long as they were sure of the safety, they were set. Not only that, but there were several types - there was one that released extremely heated water, which resulted in scalding steam. When they'd tested it on the simulation dummies that they'd modified to resemble humans and the results, they'd found that he could control the heat to get it to mildly sting, or even to completely burn.

Raven had found new meditating companions in Rin and Sango, and as Sango had taken over Starfire's training, Starfire also became a member of their group.

Everyone had something to do. All of them were occupied. Except him.

He gazed out of the windows of his room, yearning to get his gear on to seek out Kagome. But he knew it would be to no avail and restrained himself. It was a frustrating, but educational, experience, for all it made him want to beat his head against something solid both as hard as he could, and repeatedly.

He became something of the pitiable member of their group. The one that all of them looked at sympathetically. He was relieved when Kouga's comrades, Ginta and Hakkaku, finally arrived, because the flurry of energy kept him distracted. As it was, he worked himself thin.

He spent hours working with the Titans, and hours pouring over maps, trying to find out possibilities of where she might have gone. For all he knew, she might not even be in the city anymore. The thought nearly made his heart stop. That couldn't be. She couldn't be gone. He refused to admit it. After all, it was Kagome. She might not even be on the planet anymore.

Soon, they were all worried for him. Concerned that he was losing it. Miroku had even taken him aside to speak with him. After a lengthy lecture on why women weren't worth it, and seeing Miroku getting severely beaten by an angered Sango, he found himself able to relax more.

The curing words to his illness were from the ever innocent Shippo. _"It's okay, Mr. Robin. Kagome-mamma will come back. I don't know about the rest of you, but when she can, she'll come back for me. And if she doesn't, I can just find her. After all, we're spirit linked."_

It had made him wonder about himself. There were times that he felt sensations and emotions that weren't his. They surged through him. Hearing Shippo's words about being spirit-linked, sent him into a casual research frenzy, but instead of with paperwork, it was with his newfound friends. He quizzed them about the emotions.

He was all too satisfied to learn that he and Kagome had become emotionally-linked because she'd spelled him last, and had spent the most time with him. It seemed that he'd become her chosen. He was elated. He became calmer, and was easier to work with. Instead of fussing and worrying all the time, he became easier to speak with as well. Less terse, and more comfortable.

It was all a matter of time.


	13. Breakdown

Kagome had felt bad. How could she not? The guilt damn near overwhelmed her, but she had no choice. After all, even she could sense when Naraku was in the air. Having left the imprint of her memory in her room, she knew Sango would know and cover for her. After all, that was what best friends did.

Still, when she'd planned for her disappearance, she couldn't help but wonder what they would do. Even she had been surprised at the length of time that they had spent searching for her - at the desperation and frustration that Robin felt in seeking her out. She'd been surprised that he knew how to emotionally bond them. _She_, after all, hadn't done it. Perhaps it was something that occurred naturally in their world? Whatever the case, she'd done her best to stay out of their chaotic fights with the villains. It had been difficult, after having grown to love the city. Still, she had no choice, and kept with her decision.

She'd gotten an apartment under the name of Kage Gorashii. The apartment landlord, a person of Japanese descent, had been puzzled. "Your name is Shadow?" he'd asked, confused.

Kagome had nodded, unsure of what to do. She wasn't familiar with Japanese, but she'd happily take 'Shadow' in place of her name. After all, it fit. In order to hide away from her friends, she had to become a shadow. She'd considered taking 'Shadow' as an alias to fight crime privately, but she'd been forced to deny that urge. After all, Robin was intelligent. He'd find it was her.

Then, another thought occurred to her. As the 'Shadow,' she'd fight crime from them. Instead of going out into the open, she'd operate under the pretenses of being a villain herself to get to know the others. Then, she'd crush them. It worked for quite a time. Four months, to be exact. She worked as a false criminal, and eventually gained quite the standing. She even knew that the Titans had her on their blacklist. She wasn't sure whether she should be proud or appalled. She'd decided to not think about it. She crushed the Hive, and had ridden the streets of many gangs and other super-powered criminal organizations.

But she was finally caught, and by Robin, nonetheless. At the time, she'd not been doing anything criminal, but she'd panicked all the same. She knew he couldn't see her, but he'd grown suspicious when she'd run, and immediately leapt after her. Finally, she found herself cornered. Though she judged the walls around her, they were too tall. She could fly, but he'd know immediately who it was.

Then she mentally smacked herself. What did it matter that he knew? If he caught her, he'd know anyways! She lifted off for flight, but found herself slowed immensely by the teenage boy. He'd latched onto her ankle. He glared up at her through that mask he always wore, daring her to shake him off. She knew that she couldn't she'd kill herself if she caused harm to him.

Carefully, she touched down on a building, intending to speed away the second he let go.

No such luck. If anything, he'd managed to land her as well, freeing one arm, only to grasp her torso to drag her down the rest of the way.

With a resounding "Oof!" she found herself on her stomach, arm twisted behind her back with Robin settled on her lower back.

"Why'd you run?" he demanded to know. "Why'd you disappear on us like that?"

She didn't answer. He tugged on her arm and she winced. She'd not let out a cry of pain. She wouldn't let him know it hurt her. The more she hurt him now, the less likely he'd be hurt when she was taken away. Inuyasha would return, and soon. She didn't want to get dragged into the mess. As it was, he'd already cut her once. She was still getting used to fighting without her powers, and she could tell that there was something rotten in the air from the feeling of evil that Naraku had released so near to her.

Instead of answering him, she tried to tug her arm away from him, but winced when she felt the firm grip. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she was proud of him for coming so far in his training, but there was another part that was upset that he'd turned said hours of training against her. She felt a sense of betrayal, but immediately scolded herself, knowing that she'd brought it on herself, and that it had been _she, _and not _him_, that had begun to play the game.

He punched the rooftop cement that was beside her. She winced when she saw the depression he made in the solid material. She was more upset, though, when she saw the tinges of red in the cracks. Without thinking, she rolled over.

It didn't hurt her, because she wasn't moving her arm, and it dislodged him. It was a surprisingly useful move. While it might not work with most people - particularly if the person pinning them weighed more than they could dislodge - Tamaranians were born with an amazing strength.

Almost without thinking about it, she followed up on the move by sitting on his hips. She avoided looking at his face, but grasped his wrist to bring it to her eye level. She gently touched the cuts he'd gained and healed him with her power. She worried when she felt the breaks in his knuckles and paid extra attention to them when she poured her power into the wound. He had far too much pent up aggression than the usual Robin.

He couldn't believe it when he saw her. He hadn't been sure, but just how many people had the oddly shaped eyebrows and the large eyes? The unbelievably clean skin that came with being a Tamaranian, and the healthy glow? He hadn't been sure - it might have been another Tamaranian that had come to visit Starfire but had gotten lost - there were enough in heroes around their area that could've picked the Tamaranian up.

But he knew it was her the second their eyes met. Not only did he see the flash of recognition, she'd run. Then he'd cursed rather vibrantly, earning some disapproving looks and a loud, protesting, "Hey!" He'd gone after her. He'd followed her, intent on her figure. He could barely feel the soles of his shoes slamming against the pavement as he pounded after her. And then, when he'd thought he'd cornered her, she'd tried to fly.

He wasn't going to have any of that. Not after all this time. He'd latched onto her ankle and glared up at her, getting an intentional - but good, all the same - look under her skirt.

When she'd touched down, he'd firmly pinned her - or so he'd thought. And then she was on top of him, and she was gently reaching for his wrist. He'd wanted to tense, but he couldn't. It was Kagome. It only made sense when she healed his wrist. She wasn't the type of person to hurt a friend, former or not - though the Inuyasha situation clearly argued against that. He sighed. "At least give me a laudable reason. From your own lips in your own words." he requested of her.

There was silence, and for a moment, he thought she wasn't going to answer. Right when he was about to ask her again, she looked at him.

He couldn't help but notice, almost scrutinizingly, that she wasn't just looking at him. She was looking into him. Into his soul, his mind, his heart, and whatever else she could find. And then she was looking through him. He shuddered at the intensity that had entered her eyes.

"He promised me that he wouldn't involve you guys - he swore in our Agreement - but Naraku is in the region." she spoke softly. So softly, in fact, that Robin had very nearly missed the first part of what she'd said. "It's bound to happen, soon." The last bit was muttered just under her breathe.

"What's bound to happen?" Robin asked, puzzled. "Is there something you haven't told m- _us_- yet?" He wondered at his slip-up, but quickly returned to the situation at hand.

"Naraku will come for me." she said, almost sadly. "And when he does, he might break this world unless I leave freely."

Robin was dumbstruck. For an entire minute. No really - it lasted a whole minute.

"Wait a minute - you've gotta be kidding me. What is up with all of these damned world destruction things happening lately?" he frowned. First had been Raven's prophetic nightmare, and now this? Certainly, Kagome had been frozen with the rest, but goddammit! This was getting a little to ridiculous. "What's he going to do? Turn us all to stone?" he asked, scathingly.

"Don't talk that way!" she scolded him sharply. "In a good mood, he'll freeze your time. In a bad one... He might just turn the world inside out."

He stared at her for a moment.

Realizing that he didn't understand what she meant, she continued - "Your core would be on the outside, and all of you would be on the inside. Crammed into a tiny space. The pollution and the darkness would kill you. All of you."

When he realized the horror of what she was speaking about, he grabbed her by the wrists and overturned her, pinning her again. "You're kidding, right?" He searched her eyes for a hint of laughter - of falseness - but was unable to find anything that might determine her to be lying. Frustrated, he cried out in disbelief. "Then what do we do?" he demanded, his voice harsh. "How did you stop him?! If he can do this kind of thing, what chance do we stand?!"

"Robin..." Kagome was surprised by the reaction. She'd thought he'd try to tell her it was impossible. Maybe to even explain that she was perfectly safe. She didn't know what to do.

"If he can destroy us by freezing our time, why do we bother to try?!" His eyes became wild, and she wasn't sure if he knew that tears were spilling from his eyes.

"Robin!" she was becoming afraid. It was a new emotion, and not one that she liked to experience with Robin. Not for him. Not because of him. And certainly not around him.

Finally, when he started to repeat himself, she freed a hand and slapped him across the face.

"Calm down." she said. "Calm down." Then, as if nothing had happened, she helped him up, and picked him up, as if he were but a babe, and carried him the long way back to the Tower, very much unsure of what to do next.

**AN: Aw, man, I really don't know what I'm doing with this. O.o I do figure that I can get her back with the Titans again - but I'll take a vote. Who wants her with the Titans? And who wants her separated from them? **


	14. Returns

AN: That's right - it's a chapter! -dies- It was a painful, painful business, and I did it when I was supposed to be working on homework. All the same, go ahead and read. I'll put my uber important note at the bottom.

* * *

Kagome breathed in deeply and held that breathe for a count of five before releasing it. She repeated it several times before she finally allowed herself to float down to the top of the Tower. She'd considered simply leaving Robin there – he was far too exhausted, both mentally and physically, to stop her. Unfortunately, she couldn't allow herself to do so. It simply went against her character. She was concerned, after all. What if it rained? The fact that there wasn't a cloud in a sky did nothing to alleviate this worry. What if another enemy flew to the top of the Tower and saw him there? Of course, she wasn't taking into consideration the fact that it had never happened quite that way before. Most invasions had, surprisingly, come through the front door.

It took several long moments of arguing with herself, but at last, Kagome touched down onto the paved ground of the Tower rooftop. She wouldn't be able to keep herself from worry if she left him there. In a sense, she needed to be sure he was alright where he was before she left again.

She couldn't let herself pretend that he hadn't just had a nervous breakdown. Nor could she pretend that she hadn't been the cause of it. Kagome hated herself for it. She'd been foolish. It was unnecessary for him to know, and she certainly hadn't helped by scaring him. She'd been very, very foolish. And she hated herself for it. Nothing she had told him had been false, but she had omitted that any such acts on Naraku's part would take lots of time and planning. One didn't arrange for the destruction of an entire world with a great deal of planning. Fortunately, with Inuyasha's presence on Earth and the fact that, because Rin was there, Sesshoumaru would eventually be arriving, there was a deterrent. It was unlikely that Naraku would act brashly while one of the most powerful men of their planet was there.

Kagome swallowed as she approached the door to the rooftop entrance. She was even more surprised, however, when it opened of its own accord just as she stopped before it. She froze, Robin still in her arms, as she realized who had been behind the door, and just how awkward and strange she looked.

"Kagome…?" Starfire had obviously been just as surprised to see Kagome as Kagome was surprised to see her. With her was Sango. Kagome forced herself not to turn and run, but it was difficult when Sango looked at her with such disappointment in her eyes.

"S-Sango… Starfire…" she managed to get out as she recovered. "Um, how nice to see you…?"

Kagome drooped, glum. Now that she'd been caught, they'd be sure to interrogate her. This… would be difficult. And worse, she knew that they'd expect her to stay. And beyond that, she wasn't stupid enough to believe that she'd want to leave after speaking with them, and simply staying with them for a little bit. She'd been lonely when she'd worked alone. It wasn't so bad once she forced herself to deal with it, but nor was it easy to forget that there had always been someone to talk to if she ever felt like chatting, and there was always someone to play against when she wanted to play a game. Life alone was very different, and she'd missed her friends dearly. But she couldn't allow herself to stay with them and place them in even more danger.

"What are you doing here, Kagome?" Sango asked, frowning a bit. Then, realizing that Robin wasn't wounded, but rather, unconscious – asleep, to be precise, she sighed. "You know this is going to be difficult."

Kagome nodded, swallowing. "I know." Her words came out in a whisper. "But I have to make sure he understands. I don't want to see him look that way ever again."

Neither Sango nor Starfire had any idea of what Kagome was talking about, but Sango could make a guess as to what Kagome was speaking of. After all, there was only one reason for her to be speaking that way. After all, even if she'd seen Robin break down – something that had obviously happened given his exhausted state – she would have considered all of the Titans, and the little ones that didn't understand why she'd seemingly betrayed them and run away.

But Kagome had referenced Robin alone, and to Sango, that spoke in volumes that threatened to destroy things. Lots of things. Kagome was playing with fire, and they both knew it.

"Starfire, why don't you take Robin to his room? Try to make sure no one sees you. If they do, explain and send them up here." Sango's dismissal was a polite and discreet one, but it was a dismissal all the same.

"Of course," the original Titan nodded. She was confused – that much was obvious – but she was willing to do anything to help, and at the moment, all she could do was take Robin off of Kagome's hands. She carefully accepted the girl's burden and quickly disappeared behind the secondary door of the roof.

Sango didn't miss the fact that Kagome's eyes followed Starfire until the door closed on the alien.

"Kagome, you can't be doing this. Not right now."

Kagome bit her lip, looking down. "I know – I'm not going to do anything."

Sango shook her head. "You don't understand – they'll know if you're trying to make sure he's safe when you're not as worried about the others as you are about him, and they'll take advantage of that."

Who 'they' were was obvious to both of them, even without their names being said. After all, both of them were, in essence, a jinx. Who know what devilry could come about when their names left their lips.

Kagome looked her older sister figure in the eye. "I know. I'm not going to put anyone in danger."

Sango shook her head at the younger girl's words. "That wasn't what I meant." She paused for a moment. "We're your friends – we're more than willing to enter dangerous situations with you, beside you, even. But you need to make sure that you don't show extra attention to any one person, or it's pretty much guaranteed that they'll target that person."

Kagome didn't understand what Sango was trying to say, and her expression said as much. "That's why I need to leave again as quickly as possible."

Her long time friend sighed. "Okay, let me try this again. You're close with most of us, but you're especially close to Miroku and me." She continued when she saw Kagome's nod. "Both of us can protect ourselves, so we're alright, but the problem is that you're also getting close to Robin, and he doesn't know what he's getting himself into."

Kagome nodded once more, opening her mouth to speak up. Sango held up a hand, immediately silencing any words the girl might have put forth.

"I'm not telling you to ignore them, Kagome-chan. I'm telling you that you should trust all of them to walk with you." Sango said.

Kagome understood several things, then. The first – the one that came with the most impact – was the fact that Sango was calling her Kagome-chan again. She'd dropped the suffix and it had surfaced until just now. She was relieved, because it meant that Sango wasn't really angry with her. The thought that Sango might have been upset with her had settled deep in her stomach, but at the suffix, that weight had dissolved.

The second thing she understood was that Sango wasn't telling Kagome to run, or even to leave them behind to fight by herself. To clarify this, though, she spoke her thoughts aloud.

"You, as my friend, want to walk beside me," she said slowly. Sango nodded at her. "But I, because I don't want anyone getting hurt, keep walking in front."

"Exactly." Neither of them was expecting to hear another voice speak up.

Both girls turned abruptly, having been surprised by the newcomer. It was Raven, and the girl looked as though she were caught somewhere between amused, disappointed, and angry.

"R-Raven!"

"Hello, Kagome," the girl spoke in a cool tone. Kagome might have thought she was upset with her but for the smile that played across her lips. "That's what Robin and I were trying to explain to you the first time you went off on your own."

Kagome remained silent, thinking about what the girl meant. "But I wanted to walk in front. I wanted to keep you all safe. It's worked, hasn't it?"

Raven shook her head. "Physically, yes. You're keeping us safe – for the most part," the psychic said. "But at the same time, watching your back is painful and difficult for the ones that you're walking in front of."

Understanding dawned on the girl's face, and both Raven and Sango were pleased to see that she was finally seeing why they'd been upset with her in the first place.

"So walking in front isn't really keeping you safe." Kagome said, a bit disheartened. "It's hurting you, but in a different way."

Raven nodded at this. "We all realize that you don't intend to hurt us, so no one's going to speak up about it or even dislike you for it, but we would probably all feel a bit more at peace if you let us walk beside you instead."

At last, Kagome nodded. "You're right." She'd conceded. The other girls both sighed in relief. The other, private, worry with any one of them walking in front was that it meant that person was in the front lines. All the weapons were trained on the person in front as opposed to the people in the back. As a result, this also meant that Kagome would no longer be the main target. This bit of news would be welcome to the other Titans.

But still yet another problem had yet to be addressed.

"But I can't stay."

"What?" Sango looked sharply at the girl. While she'd known that Kagome had no intention to stay in the beginning, she'd hoped that the girl would change her mind when she'd realized that she couldn't fight alone.

That's why both girls were surprised to see a blush suddenly settle on Kagome's face.

"Um…" she fidgeted for a moment before finally speaking up. "What do you know about Shadow?"

Raven responded to this immediately, rattling off the details that they'd all memorized in case they happened to run across any of the blacklisted criminals. When she'd finished, she only raised an eyebrow at Kagome, understanding where this was headed.

"_You_'_re_ Shadow?" Sango said in disbelief. "But _why_? Shadow's a criminal – on wanted lists and posters and all kinds of things!"

Kagome rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, I didn't actually commit any major crimes. Just petty theft and stuff. On the other hand, I was really obvious and loud about. And really devious, too. I planned it out in advance and left my mark wherever I stole something. The name got famous pretty quickly."

"And then?" Raven was still watching her with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Then the crime syndicates and groups started to come to recruit me."

"You were responsible for the downfall of the Hive, weren't you?" Raven asked, amused. "You joined the organizations and turned them inside out, making them fail."

Kagome's blush deepened and she looked down, embarrassed.

She was surprised when Sango clapped her on the shoulder with a peal of laughter. "That's great! You pulled one on all of us! Just wait 'til I tell the troublemakers!"

Kagome's face began to resemble the color of a tomato. "Yeah… But I'm with a big group right now. I'm really close to toppling them."

"Alright," Raven nodded, her lips twitching upwards into a smile. "Then you'll need to go after talking to Robin. We'll talk to Starfire and make sure that no one sees you. It'd be bad if they knew, right?"

Kagome smiled at the other girl, summing up all her feelings into a single word: "Thanks."

* * *

AN2: Thanks to the following for reviewing!

MoonsDaughterLuv  
Natsumi Tsuchi-Ookami  
Silver Fox Kagome  
devious-wolf  
Shalimar23  
lacy  
gen  
silverroseredbullet  
xKagex  
kagome-crossover

Ultimately, it's the sudden push of reviews in the last week or so that got me to put off the insane workload I was doled to sit down at the computer and type the whole thing up. My fingers are in a bit of pain, but I feel that it was worth it. Thanks so much! And... Vote in my poll!


	15. Inuyasha

AN: Sorry for the long delay. Any comments, criticism, or ideas are welcome.

* * *

It was quiet when she finally stepped into the building. With Sango and Raven at her side, she felt as though things were at peace… And couldn't help but be relieved. Sango was her best friend – the one she'd always confided in and she couldn't bear to think about Sango hating her. It was difficult enough to deal when her friend was disappointed with her.

As for Raven, though… Raven had been a very important part of her time at the Tower. She wasn't infallible, but unlike Starfire, she wasn't entirely cheerful, either. It put her at peace to feel that she wasn't pressured to follow her planet's norms when she was with Raven, but at the same time, it was nice to know that the other girl would quietly offer her opinion after analyzing the situation. Raven was intelligent and they'd had many interesting and philosophical questions. Most importantly, though, the psychic never put her opinion forward at a time when it wasn't welcome.

It was almost a relief of sorts to be aware that the two girls she was with were the two with whom she felt the most comfortable. It didn't take too long to get to Robin's room and they caught Starfire just outside it.

"He is inside," she nodded towards the door. She looked at Kagome a bit nervously. "Will… Will you stay?"

Kagome shook her head, but smiled at the Tamoranean princess that had tried so hard to make her feel welcome. "They will explain later," she told the purple-clad girl.

After only the slightest moment of hesitation, she entered the room.

It didn't take long for Robin to wake. He'd never been one to stay down for long. He jolted upright when he realized what had happened, and immediately clasped his head with a groan.

He could only swear at himself and wonder at his loss. How could he have lost her again? As he was beginning to wonder how he'd find Kagome again, he heard a cool voice.

"Drink this," she instructed, offering him a cup of what looked to be water.

Robin was stunned. After losing his awareness outside and waking in his room, he hadn't expected to see her again – much less in his room. Frozen in his shock, Kagome moved to him instead. Instead of hovering beside the bed, she sat on it, pressing the cup to his lips and tilting it backwards.

Reflexively, Robin drank, allowing the coolness to soothe the headache and the surprise.

He took the cup from her and drained the liquid quickly.

"Kagome—"

She held a finger to his lips.

"There is a way to stop Naraku," she said quickly, wanting to keep him from asking anything of her that she couldn't grant. "But it takes a lot of time. I am looking up the necessary information when I am not working."

"How?" Robin asked, his hands clutching her shoulders, the cup falling into the sheets, the last drops carelessly wetting the cotton fabric.

Her objective of distracting him reached, she responded to his question.

"There is an… artifact that my planet has… One that can destroy or fix anything," she explained, her voice almost hesitant. "I… have a form of access to it, but I am utilizing the research facilities of this planet in order to find an equivalent to it."

Robin frowned. "If our planet had anything like that, it would be put under high security… or under the control of a madman."

Kagome sighed, and then reminded gently, "I am seeking an equivalent. Not a copy."

"The same still applies!" he shot back.

She shrugged. "It does."

"Then…?" the fight left him with her easy admission.

"What do you know about the criminal 'Shadow'?" she asked him quietly.

Surprised, Robin blurted out the vitals he memorized about every criminal: "Female, young, petty crimes, continuously involved with large organizations and crime lords, but slips away each time they're caught."

Kagome smiled despite herself. "My alias is Kage Gorashii."

She'd heard of their visit to Japan – it was one of the many stories they'd given her to give her an idea of what life had been like before she'd arrived. He wasn't stupid – he'd connect the dots.

Admittedly, it was interesting to see his face changing so as it hit him.

His mouth parted as his eyes widened. Red colored his cheeks and his hands fell from her shoulders and for a moment, he was speechless.

Then – "Y-y-you….! You?" – it began. "_You're_ Shadow?" His voice rose in a fevered pitch. While she knew their rooms were all soundproofed, she couldn't help but wincing.

"Quietly!" she gestured hurriedly for him to lower his face. Once his face returned to its usual color, she continued. "I've been setting those organizations up to fall… And as for the theft and stuff… I had to get noticed _somehow._"

"But…" Robin seemed appalled. "Kagome, that's… what you're doing is _wrong!"_ His utter rejection pricked her and she stood up, putting some space between them. It also kept him from seeing the hurt.

"Maybe it is," she said quietly, doing her best not to let his disappointment hurt her, "But it's necessary. I never thought you'd tell me it was wrong, though, Robin. Weren't you the one that told me Red X was a mistake?"

She took a couple of steps away from him, stopped only by his weak response.

"Kagome, that's not…" she heard him stand and continued moving to the door. She couldn't let him stop her – if he did, he'd see her face. The senseless tears – why was she even crying? It was so stupid! – would be visible.

"Don't worry about it, Robin," she said, pausing at the door only to open it. "Anyways, I only stayed to let you know that there is a way to stop Naraku." Stepping into the hall, she nodded towards Sango, relieved that Raven wasn't there. "Sango will tell you the rest."

She shut the door behind her – the clicking sound the automated door made sounded final, but she couldn't allow herself to worry about it her.

"You know what can stop him," she spoke in her native language to Sango, knowing that her friend would know her well enough to understand the reference to the three men in her life.

"Kagome, this isn't necessary…" her friend protested, following her in the language swap.

She shook her head. "I'm pretty sure the group I'm with now has something I can use, Sango…"

Her friend smiled sadly at her. "I hope, for your sake, that they do."

The younger of the two smiled back just as sadly. "So do I. I… I like these people, Sango."

They headed for the roof, knowing that while Robin would try to follow, he'd first attempt to analyze the information he'd been presented with. He probably didn't think she'd leave so quickly – at least, not now that she'd given him the illusion that she might stay longer.

"You like _Robin_." Sango said pointedly. "Kagome, you can't do this to yourself. Miroku and I are more than capable of protecting him and the others that are here. You should stay."

The other shook her head. They both knew it was hopeless. "This is the only way, Sango… I've got to get to this thing, and I've got to get to it soon. If not… If this doesn't work, then I think I'll have to do my best without it. I like this place – I don't want to see it ruined."

Her friend shook her head in denial, though they both knew the truth.

"We can leave. We'll take him with us and we'll get away!"

"And then what? We'd always be running… We'd get tired of it sooner or later."

Sango led the way out onto the roof. Turning to her friend, she finally sighed. "At least tell us what happened with Inuyasha. What changed to make him… The way he is now?"

Kagome's eyes became wet as she hovered for a moment before deciding that she would, in fact, allow her best friend this much. Certainly, Sango knew everything else.

Cross-legged in the air, Kagome explained it as best as she could. "He was… He was sleeping with Kikyo when he thought I wasn't around. Naraku was cutting deals with the both of us – deals that we both knew were only trustworthy to a certain point. Still, I don't think either of us expected this.

"It was only a week before I escaped," Kagome said. "He'd been hitting me for the longest time… But he still said he loved me. What's worse, though," – she swallowed – "Was that I could tell that he meant it. He really thought he loved me, but that didn't make it okay for him to hit me the way he did." She shook her head. "Naraku didn't like his precious specimen getting bruised, so he used Kikyo as a scapegoat for me… I feel bad for her, but that's the reality of the situation. She was probably killed when they tore up the lab since she was still reliant on the equipment. Still, he never once struck _her_. He never hit anyone, as far as I knew. Only me."

She bit her lip for a moment, and then forged onwards. "I loved him, Sango. I loved him so much – but to him, I'm no longer an object of love. I could see it in his eyes when he came to try and take me back. He won the tournament, but he wanted the glory as much as he wanted me – and I really am only a prize to him now. A trophy or toy for him to do what he wants with."

"And that's exactly how it will stay," Inuyasha snarled. He himself was just above them, hovering in midair. He'd come for his first attempt to bleed the girl he wanted to take back. Having heard everything, he couldn't help but feel the slightest tinges of guilt… But it was too late to go back.

"I'm disappointed in you, Sango," he all but sneered. "I thought you and Miroku were my _friends_."

Sango immediately fell into a defensive posture.

"You Agreed not to get others involved!" Kagome shouted, her own battle form easily concealing Sango from the male's view.

He swore before touching down on the rooftop.

"Yeah, yeah – I'll take you all back with me," he said with a scowl in place. His once handsome face was twisted by the threats in his voice. "You all belong to me, after all!"

Both feet on the ground now, Kagome gestured for Sango to get away.

"It's the first of two meetings, Inuyasha. Think you can make me bleed?" she challenged him, her expression fierce despite the cues that Sango had long since learned meant her friend was sad.

"Bring it on, wench!"

And they fought. It was a tangle of limbs and havoc to their arms and legs as they kicked, punched, and struggled to gain the advantage.

Finally, Kagome missed a grip, and Inuyasha pinned her to the ground, a dagger in hand.

She glared at him. "Weapons, Inuyasha?" she all but spat, "I see your honor no longer holds and worth to you."

"Shut up," he instructed her. "I do whatever it takes to get what I want."

He placed the blade against her cheek, but she turned towards it, intending to scar herself. Immediately, he removed the blade as she'd known he would. He wanted a trophy – if it was scarred, it wasn't worth displaying.

In his moment of weakness, she freed a hand and snatched the dagger from his overconfident grip. She cut the tender flesh between his thumb and forefinger as she took it, and once she had it in her hand, she gripped the hilt in her fist and smacked him across the face, placing another cut on his face.

"You -!" his face twisted into one of hatred and fury as he moved his hands to her throat to strangle her.

Immediately, a band of bright pink appeared around his throat and dragged him away from her, effectively blasting him to the other side of the roof. Kagome took the opportunity to get to her feet.

"First meeting," she called out, coughing slightly. "Two bloods. I win, Inuyasha."

"Like hell!" he glared at her. "You belong to _me!"_

Suddenly, there was a great whistling sound and suddenly a figure dressed in white and silver appeared almost exactly in the middle between the two.

"Inuyasha," the figure spoke. His voice alone spoke volumes about his distaste for the loser of the Agreement.

"What do you want, Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha demanded angrily. His elder brother had appeared out of nowhere – and at a most inopportune time.

"She won fairly. Desist and depart."

"Screw you!" Inuyasha glowered. "I didn't lose!"

The graceful figure of his brother merely stared at him.

Desperate, Inuyasha began to call out. "She cheated! She had to have frickin' cheated! There's no way that she – that _that_ _abomination could defeat me!" _At his words, Kagome cringed, flinching almost reflexively at the realization that he may have never loved her. Sango held her friend protectively as she glared at the one she'd once considered a protector and friend._  
_

"You made an Agreement," his older brother said as the two women watched on. "Will you fail to honor it?" As if in acknowledgment of his words, the shimmering band around Inuyasha's throat glowed brightly and threateningly.

Knowing he'd lost, the red-clothed boy deflated. "No…"

"Then get out of my sight."

Without a word, Inuyasha got to his feet, glaring hatred at Kagome and Sango, and promptly disappeared.

Kagome stood tall with Sango at her back as Sesshoumaru turned towards her.

"Where is Rin?"


End file.
